An Apology of Infants, Sermon
A SERMON PROOVING, THAT THE VNBAPTIZED, PREVENTED BY DEATH, may be Gods children: and by his election may be ſaued.
THE TEXT.
1. Pet. 3.21.
To this Arke of Noah, the figure alſo that now ſaueth vsus, euen Baptiſme agreeth, not the putting away of the filth of the fleſh, but the questioning of a good conſcience to God, by the reſurrection of Ieſus Christ.
22.
Who is at the right hand of God, gone into Heauen, to whome the Angels and powers, and principalities are ſubiect.
THis Scripture, as touching my purpoſe at this time, openeth the meanes of our ſaluation, and that two waies, touching GOD in Chriſt, & touching vsus. Touching god in Chriſt: who is the cauſe of it, the ſupreme and ſoueraigne cauſe of it, the cauſe of cauſes, euen Chriſt the alone cauſe of our ſaluation. The meanes of performing and purchaſing it, are ſet downe by foure actions: the firſt, his riſing from the dead: the ſecond, his ſitting at the right hand of God: thirdly, his aſcending into heauen: fourthly, his ſubiecting of Angels vntounto him. The conditiō on our part is two-fold: outward, the element of water in Baptiſme: inwarde, the queſtioning of a good conſcience to God. Of the type Noahs Arke and the complement of it, in the correſpondence of Baptiſme vntounto it: elſewhere hath been at large handled.
Now further, I obſerue affirmatiuely, what ſaueth: Namely, Chriſt apprehended by faith, from a good conſcience: as being riſen, aſcended, ſitting at Gods right hand, ſubduing Angels and all for thy good. Secondly, I obſerue negatiuely what ſaueth not: namely, the outward waſhing of Baptiſme: water of it ſelfe, being readier to drowne, then to ſaue: ſeeing of old they baptized with their bodies vnderunder the water, Act. 8.38. Matth. 3.16. and not ſprinkled alone, which yet was indifferent, as appeareth Act. 9.17.18. Act. 16.33. Cyp. lib. 4. epiſt. 7. Thirdly, that it is neceſſarie and fit to bee had, if it may bee had after Chriſts inſtitution. So that the Prince, Miniſter, or parent, or whoſoeuer he bee, ſore offendeth, by whoſe negligence, or meanes it is omitted, or cannot be had. For the firſt, all ſcripture aimeth onelyonly at this poynt, Ieſus to be the Chriſt: all the ſacrifices of the old Teſtament did foreſignifie it: Iohn did poynt at him, This lambe takes away the ſinnes of the worlde: GOD proclaimed it from heauen by an apparition of a Doue, with a celeſtiall oracle, when he was crowned with the holie Ghoſt: This is my welbeloued ſinne in whom I am well pleaſed: that is,Matth. 3.17. I am not pleaſed in the Prophets, in any holie men or women, not in thee, nor in thy people, O my ſeruant Iohn Baptiſt, nor in this water of Iorden, but in him I am well pleaſed, euen for all other that beleeue in his name:1. Iohn 2.1.2 of him (ſaith Iohn) If any ſinne we hauehave an aduocate with the father, and he is the propitiation for our ſinnes. Act. 4.12.There is no ſaluation in any other, no name vnderunder heauen, by which we may be ſaued: no name neither of perſon, as Angels or Saints: nor yet of other creature, as Water, Bread, or Wine.
This I neede not to ſtande vponupon among Chriſtians: the meanes of application to vsus muſt bee thought vponupon rather, which is by faith vnfained, which maketh the queſtioning of a good conſcience towards God: here a good conſcience well examined is mentioned. But to Timothie and to the Hebrues, it is thus expreſſed: vntounto Timothie thus:1. Tim. 1.5.* The end of the commandement is louelove out of a pure hart, from a good conſcience, and faith vnfained. Againe to the Hebrues thus:Heb. 10.22. * Let vsus draw neere with a true heart in aſſurance of faith, ſprinkled in our hearts from an euill conſcience. Then what ſanctifieth the conſcience? faith. Now a good conſcience is here deſcribed, to bee ſuch an one that maketh ſuch an enquirie into it ſelfe, by ſtraight examination, as in Gods preſence: examination of a good conſcience to Godward, tho men miſlike: So that that is not an ill conſcience that ſinneth: for then who is free? but that which ſuffereth ſinne to lie vponupon it ſelfe vnexamined, that flattereth it ſelfe, that bolſtereth ſinne in it ſelfe and others. Paul would bee one among them that ſtoned Steuen, Act. 7.58. Act. 22.20.at leaſt he would keepe their garments: if it ſhould come to voyces, he would giuegive a voyce,Act. 9.1.2.3. yea he put himſelfe to paine to moleſt men & women that loued the trueth,Act. 23.1. Act. 24.16. and yet when he had beleeued in Ieſus Chriſt, he profeſſed before the Councell, that he had ſerued GOD in a good conſcience.
Therefore that is not an euill conſcience, alwaies that hath been defiled, but that which lyes in the defilement. For if thou riſeſt from ſinne, this riſing, ſitting at the right hand of God, this aſcenſion, this ſubduing of heauenly powers, are for ſeruiceablenes vntounto thee: they bee as a bunch tyed together to beſprinkle thine heart. Thou art cleane: euen as Dauid profeſſeth of himſelfe, after he had been bathed in pleaſure, and been dyed red as ſcarlet in the bloud of Vrias, that if God waſh him,Pſalm. 51.7. bloud it ſelfe, and adulterie ſhall bee as cleane waſht off, as though they had neuer been. A man ſo ſcoured ſhal be as white as ſnowe in his cleanenes from the clowdes: a man ſo ſpotted ſhall bee as cleare as the picked, the ſmooth and cleare tranſparent glaſſe, when the ſunne beames do ſhine vponupon it. Yea but ſome wil ſay: though with God it bee ſo, that my ſinnes bee taken away,Pſalm. 51.3. yet my ſinne is alwaies before me, it runnes in my mind, I can hauehave no reſt for it. Yet againe remember, as the ſcripture ſayth,1. Ioh. 3.20. Though thy heart condemne thee, yet this Chriſt ſo riſing, ſo aſcending, ſo ſitting in glorie, that Angels that do homage vntounto him, euen as he is man: is greater then thy condemning heart to ſaue thee. And therefore beloued, to the man or woman, whom ſinne or ſathan hath deceiued, his owne fleſh, or the world, I ſay, let not ſinne lye vnexamined, vnqueſtioned with neuer examining the hart and raines: but rather ſtill as ſinne ſtealeth vponupon thee, ſearch it out, as with tents wee ſearch the bottome of our ſores, lance the wound,1. Cor. 11.31. ſit in commiſſion vponupon thy ſelfe, caſt thy ſelfe, and damne thy ſelfe, and thou ſhalt bee ſaued: if thou doeſt thus, thou haſt the right vſe of Baptiſme, of the Supper, of the Word, of Prayer, and all the good that can come to a man by Chriſtes death, reſurrection, aſcenſion, ſitting in glorie, and power ouer Angels: thou ſhalt ſtop the mouth of Sathan: Apoc. 12.10. He is an accuſer of the brethren. Doe thou therfore ſtep to God before him: when ſathan ſeeth, that thou haſt done ſo much againſt thy ſelfe, by accuſing thy ſelfe, as he deſired to doe, he will depart confounded. Laſtly, it appeareth that a man that beareth with his own ſoule in ſinne, or with others, that winketh at it, that lends thē countenance of letter, cloth, good, word, excuſes, colours, ſhifts, that neuer calleth himſelfe to queſtion, whether he ſtand in ſtate of grace, in what caſe hee is with God, being froſen in his dregges: this man hath no part with Ieſus in the holie citie, his Baptiſme waſheth him not, his bodie ſprinkled towards men, but not his conſcience to God: Chriſt roſe from death, he lyes ſtill in ſinne: Chriſt ſits at Gods right hand, he ſits vponupon the ſeate of wickedneſſe: Chriſt aſcended, & he deſcendeth downward to hell: Chriſt hath Angels vnderunder him, he diuels aboue him.
The 2 part.Now by the way of paſſage of ſpeech, to the next part, euen out of this place, I reaſon thus: He that ſaueth vsus, muſt hauehave riſen from death, aſcended into heauen, ſit at Gods right hande, Angels alſo to adore him: but no Angel, nor holie man, or woman euer did riſe for vsus, or aſcēded for vsus: Baptiſme hath no ſuch power to raiſe frō death, nor hath it ſelfe mounted to heauen, nor hath any place at Gods right hand, nor do the Angels worſhip it. Therefore no ſaluatiō of neceſsitie depēdeth vponupon Baptiſme, though it ſhould bee moſt holilie miniſtred. The Popiſh Church hath two errors in it: the one,Concil. Trid. cenſur. Colon. in dial. 7. de Sac. that ſacraments by the work wrought by the receiuing of them, bring grace to the receiuer, vnles ſome enormous ſinne be vponupon him, which they tearme mortall. Another, that children, infants, innocents, if they dye without Baptiſme, they are damned.
O cruell ſentence, and bloudie decree. The firſt is refuted by that wee hauehave ſayd alreadie, that in them that hauehave yeares, no grace commeth by the ſacrament, but a diſgrace rather, no good but euill, if there bee not a good conſcience towards GOD examined, and waſhed with the fruites of Chriſts death and paſsion. For here are vnderſtood the workes of his humiliation, as his incarnatiō, dwelling in the ſhape of a ſeruant, his crucifying, and ſuch like, though there are touched onelyonly foure workes of his exaltation. And our Apoſtle ſayth plainly, though Noahs Arke ſaued, yet ſaying that the waſhing of the fleſh ſaueth not, he ſeemeth to ſay, gather not that outward waſhing ſaueth. How then ſay our aduerſaries, that all are damned that hauehave not Baptiſme?Teſt. Rhemiſ. Ioh. 3. verſ. 5. or doe they ſay ſo? No not all, ſay they. Who then? and who not? All infants (ſay they) that dye without Baptiſme. O pitifull & cruell ſentence, whoſe eares will not tingle at it? infants who cannot ſpeak, think, or do ill, the child whoſe fleſh is ſcarce curded in the wombe: whoſe bones are ſcarce griſtled out of the wombe: from the darknes of the wombe paſſe to the vtter darkneſſe for euer. Thus ſpeaketh the dragon all gored with bloud.Apoc. 12.3.
But doth the lambe of God ſay ſo alſo? no doubt this lambes bloud extendeth it ſelf euen to theſe little lābes and ſucklings. Is there no pardon from this general dānatorie ſentence & cruell definitiue? are none excepted? Yes, God doth accept thē as baptized, who are martyred before they could be baptized,Rhe. in Ioh. 5. verſ. 2. and they that depart this life with deſire and vow of Baptiſme. OnelyOnly they? Yea onelyonly they, who earneſtly intend, deſire and ſeeke for the ſame: that is a fewe, very fewe O happie & rare caſe, of them aboue all others to be ſingled out vntounto life. What is their proofe that the vnbaptized muſt needs be dāned? Ioh. 3. Vnles a man be borne of water and the holy Ghoſt: This is generall, euen againſt all whoſoeuer hauehave not outward water: and if generall, why not to martyrs and the other that dye with deſire of Baptiſme? But they can make general whē they will,Pighius Hierar. eccl. l. 1. c. 4. and ſpeciall when they will: euen as blaſphemouſly they hauehave ſayd of the Word, it is a noſe of waxe:Linda. in praef. ſo they make the ſacrament a ſcale of waxe. But ſuppoſe a Martyr, or a Chriſtian conuerted, not yet inſtructed in the doctrine of Baptiſme, as they that led the Martyrs to death, ſeeing their patience, faith, zeale, were ſuddenly conuerted, and cried out, Christianus ſum, I am a Chriſtian, and thereupon ſuffered with them: how could they deſire that, they knowe not of? were they damned? for this Popiſh diuinitie maketh all damned, who in their owne perſons doe not earneſtly intend, deſire, and ſeeke for Baptiſme of water, euen as earneſtly as the proportion of the ſpeech carrieth it: as the man deſired to bee in the water,Iohn 5.6.7. when it was troubled, and had none to helpe him. What then became of Iohn Baptiſt, for who baptized him? He indeede ſayd to Chriſt,Math. 3 14. I hauehave neede to be baptized of thee, and commeſt thou to me? He deſired it: but that is not enough, ſeeing hee liued in a time when hee might hauehave had it:Iohn. 3.22. & 4.2. for Chriſts Diſciples then baptized. Or what ſhall wee ſay of the Apoſtles, who ſeeme (Act. 1.5.) to be borne indeede of the ſpirit, but not of the outward water, except Paul, or Andrewe, Iohn 1.36.40.and ſome that were Iohns diſciples, to hauehave been baptized with the holie Ghoſt, but not with water? What dare they ſay of the theefe, who was neither Martyr,Acts 9.18. nor yet was ſo farre inſtructed to deſire baptiſme of water, but by ſpeciall influence of Gods ſudden touch of his heart, and lightening of his minde,Luk. 23.42. deſired to bee with Chriſt in his kingdome, and obtained that princely paradiſe? Laſt of all, ſeeing themſelues cō feſſe that the deſire of parents, or godfathers,Catech. Trident. as they tearme them, ſerueth for to procure grace to children baptized, who hauehave not the wit nor grace yet to aske it: why ſhould not the deſire of parents, or friends, who hunger and thirſt for the righteouſnes of God in Baptiſme, for the infants to bee borne, or alreadie borne, and yet dying without baptiſme, be accepted in Gods ſight? Themſelues, for the innocents, and Martyrs whom Herod tragicallie murdered in the maſſacre of Bethlem, and yet they not baptized, nor baptiſme deſired for them, leaſt of all this baptiſme of blood, which al lamented, al fathers and mothers cryed out vponupon: themſelues I ſay confeſſe theſe not only ſaued,Rhe Teſt. in Math. 2.16. but gloriouſly ſaued, to bee Martyrs, and ſolemnize their feaſt.
And thus the ground and foundation is weake: their building alſo vponupon it, paūcheth. In the primitiue church of the world, no doubt many children dyed before the eight day vncircumciſed, as Dauids childe begotten in adulterie,2. Sam. 12.18. which dyed euen the ſeuenth day: the greater griefe, if it bee as they would hauehave it in baptiſme, that it came ſo neere the iuſt time, and miſſed the ſeale of the couenant: as it were a man eſcaping all ſhipwracke to die in the port & hauen. Likewiſe the Iſraelites remained vncircumciſed without all deſire to hauehave it, counting it a rebuke, becauſe they learned heatheniſhnes of Aegypt,Ioſh. 5.8. or kept themſelues vncircumciſed, as meaning to returne into Aegypt, Num. 14.4. Yet who dare be ſo peremptorie,Baptiſme the great Circumciſion, ſo called by Epiphanius as to pronounce damnation vponupon them? for looke howe baptiſme anſwereth circumciſion, ſo the deceaſing without baptiſme ſhould be by ſuite and proportion, no worſe thing then dying without circumciſion. Vnles a man will ſay, that the ſtate of the Goſpell hath leſſe mercy and pitie then the lawe, and that it went harder with infants vnderunder Chriſt, then infants vnderunder Moſes, ſeeing Chriſt alſo became an infant, to ſaue and redeeme infants: ſeeing alſo on them by Herod was laide the firſt teſtimonie, that the world ſhould hate the Lord Ieſus, euen yet, as it were a babe and ſuckling,Math. 3.16. and that vntounto death. Adde hereunto that ſeeing the Lorde appointed a ſet time to circumciſion,Gen. 17.12. which was hard and dangerous, ſomwhat for life, *Ge. 34.25. in the Sichemites who were ſoare for the cutting three daies and not able to defend themſelues.I meane the eight day, and deſigned no certaine time to baptize, that ſeeing it is freer for diſpoſing of, that leaſt of all necesſitie dependeth vponupon it: whereas if the 2 or 3. *As ſome in Cyp. time. l. 3. cp. 8. ep.the 7. or 8. day had beene appointed or ſuch like, then the deferring of baptiſme beyond that time, had beene great offence: but the departing of the childe before that time no diſparagement to ſaluation.
Lombard l. 4. ſent. diſt. 2. ca. ſi vero.Indeed Lombard the maiſter of the ſentēces, that is of the ſentētious & poſitiue diuinitie, (out of whom they gather their tenents & cōcluſions) giueth dānatory ſentence vpō infants that die without circumciſion, as vponupon thē that dye without baptiſme. But here he is noted with a blacke coa…e of diſlike. None commonly holde with maſter Lombard in this:Magiſter hic non tenetur. onelyonly our countrieman Beda thinking that verie hard, doth labour to ſalue & qualifie it thus: that in time of necesſitie of death, they circumciſed peraduenture before the 8. day without offence. But who dare pluck vp the ſtakes of the time appointed by God,Quaeſt. 3, de Baptiſmo. or remoue them? It is but a fancie. The Ieſuites in their controuerſies, yeeld the infants of the Iewes that were preuented by death before the 8. day, to bee ſaued: becauſe they ſay, God ſet downe this time. Whereas the libertie that it is arbitrary to the church, when to adminiſter baptiſme, ſo no neglect bee of that holy ſeale, argueth rather, that the preuention of it ſhould bee no more preiudiciall to the ſauing of thy child vnbaptized, then of it vncircumciſed. And the other reaſon which the Ieſuits giuegive, why Iewiſh infants might bee ſaued without circumciſion: namely, that the parents prayers and offeringes might bee a remedie to ſuccour them, will ſerue for the infants vnbaptized, if they meane of prayers before death: namely, that the deuotion of the godly, of godly parents, who many times pray, exerciſe deuotion in their hearts for their babe vnſeene, (as Iob for his aliue,Iob. 1.5. Gen. 25.22. as Rebecca went to the Lorde for the babes in the wombe) that it may hauehave life, the mother a good howre: that it may proue the ſeruāt of God: ſhal be as auailable for their children, as the offringes of the Iewes for their vncircumciſed. But ſee the force of trueth, howe great it is, that it maketh ſtiffe aduerſaries to yeeld ſomewhat, namely that by priuiledge and diſpenſation infants vnbaptized may bee ſaued, for ſo at laſt they ſay.
Gen. 15.6.But wee proue more then a ſpeciall priuiledge: Abraham before the lawe was iuſtified by faith:Rom. 4 3. euen while hee was yet vncircumciſed. Iohn the baptiſt,Luke 1.15. Iere. 1.5. in the wombe was filled with the holy Ghoſt: Ieremie vncircumciſed was ſanctified from his mothers wombe: ſo Paul vnbaptized was ſanctified alſo frō the womb:Gal. 1.15. if Moſes and Ieremie had dyed without circumciſion, had they been damned? if Iohn Baptiſt and Paul had dyed in the wombe, had they periſhed? God forbid: where then is abſolute neceſsitie? Therefore indeede ſaluation dependeth vponupon Gods election of olde,Epheſ. 1.4.5. Rom. 9.21.22. when in his euerlaſting counſell, ſeeing a ruine like to come vponupon all, he ſorted the ſoules of men and women, ſome to merciemercy, ſome to wrath: and this election remaineth ſure and vnmoueable in his church hauing this ſeale, not that man knoweth by baptiſme, or not baptiſme,2. Tim. 2.19, who are his abſolutely: but * this the Lord knoweth who are his: ſo that indeede the holding of the neceſsitie of baptiſme to ſaluation ouerthroweth Gods election, deſtroyeth his omnipotencie, and the freenes of his purpoſe from euerlaſting. Of Iacob God ſayth, Him I hauehave loued: Rom. 9.13.in him is vnderſtood the corps of the faithfull, the communaltie of the ſaintes.
Gods louelove is no fancie that want of baptiſme may breake off▪ for then it were a heauie caſe, that the negligēce or contempt of the parent or miniſter ſhould debarre the helpeles child from the ſocietie of ſaluation. Eſau hated of God: in him is vnderſtood the brood and ſpawne of the wicked: therefore ſaluation dependeth vponupon Gods acceptance, and receiuing into fauour, and not vponupon the outwarde elemente of water, euen ritually and formally adminiſtred: for to ſay that water hath this power, it is to deifie it, to make it God, to make it an Idoll, to ſacrifice to it, and to bring vp again a Neptune, a God of the water with the gentiles.
Therfore neither had Iacob periſhed if hee had died in the wombe, ſeeing GOD ſpred his banner of louelove ouer him: neither Eſau was ſaued, becauſe hee liued till his foreskin was done away, ſeeing the Lord had no liking to him. The ſcripture is rich in examples of Gods fauour before any touch of Sacraments, beſides theſe alreadie touched, the children of the Hebrues, (alſo as it is charitable and probable to thinke, Dauids childe,) Abraham, Iacob, Ieremie, Iohn Baptiſt, the Apoſtles, Paul, the theefe vponupon the croſſe, whom all the ſcripture commendeth; to leaue the vncertain, as Nicodemus, Ioſeph of Arimathia, Gamaleel, &c, Before any ſacrament receiued: *Luk. 19.9.of Zacheus it is ſayd, This day is ſaluation come into thy houſe, O Zache: this day, not the day of his baptiſme: ſo the *Act. 8.37.Eunuch accepted to God by faith before his baptiſme: ſo Cornelius a man that feared God before his baptiſme: ſo Lydias hart opened, by the Lord,Act. 10.2. by the key of the word,Act. 16.14. as it were turned about by the preaching of it before baptiſme: ſo the iaylour in the ſame place: ſo Mary Magdelene that was caried to ſinne as if 7. diuels draue the tide, with wind and ſaile:Luk. 17.50. Her faith ſaued her, as Chriſt ſayth, not her baptiſme, vnles you ſay ſhee baptized herſelfe with her teares: which though they were holy and precious water, fit to be preſerued in Gods bottle,Pſalm. 56.8. falling from her humbled cheekes, and a contrite heart which God wiped with his merciemercy: which had many ſinnes forgiuen, becauſe ſhee loued much: yet they are not this actuall baptiſme of water which wee ſpeake of. So ſayth Hierome of Aſella, ſanctified from the wombe.
And in deede the very vſe of the Sacramentes which wee giuegive and afforde the elect onelyonly as wee hope, proueth a non neceſsitie of ſaluation in them and by them. For why are children baptized,1. Cor. 7.11.14. becauſe they are holy, though onelyonly one parent ſhould beleeue: howe holy? and who holy? how holy, *Quaeſt. 3 de bapt. neceſſ.not as the Ieſuits imagine holy, that is legitimate, no baſtarde: but holy, becauſe of the glorious profeſsion of Ieſus Chriſt, becauſe of the couenant of grace:Gen. 17 7. Act 2.39. I will be thy GOD and the God of thy ſeede. Who holy? only the baptized children of the chriſtians: no, it is generally and vniuerſally ſayd your children: as likewiſe of the whole Iewiſh race it is ſpoken, the roote being holy,Rom 11.16. ſo are the branches. And why are the growen and them of diſcretion baptized? is it not that wee ſee ſome reaſon to ſeale vntounto them Gods merciemercy? for baptiſme is a ſ…e as was circumciſion.Rom. 4.11. Now as among men the conditions are agreed vponupon, then the ſeale annexed: ſo God receiueth into couenant, and then ſealeth. Men poſſeſſe their cattel and inſtruments, and then marke them: they chuſe and leuie ſouldiers, & then giuegive them preſt money: And yet as with a good landlord, the right of my tenement ceaſeth not, hauing the promiſe of a faithfull man, though the father ſhould die, without ſealing vntounto mee, ſeeing an honeſt ſonne commeth in place, who will be a ſeale vntounto his fathers words: ſo though GOD the father ſhould preuent vsus of baptiſme, yet in that he hath promiſed a ſtate of life to me and mine in his ſonne hee will ſeale it to vsus, for him hath the father *Ioh. 6.27.ſealed. An honeſt ſouldier will venture his life in the battailes of the lord, though hee had not his preſt money. The clayme of the owner is good, though no actuall marke ſhould bee vponupon his good. This is the marke of Gods children,Beza confeſ. c. 4. ſ. 48. de bapt. infant. Chytreus Bern. ſer. 66. in Cant. Au l. 1. de peccat. meritis. Pet Martyr. lo. com. claſ. 4. c. 8. ſect 7. Zuinglius. de Baptiſmo. pag. 68. tom. 2. The Lorde knoweth who are his.
Nowe if children in the wombe as Iohn Baptiſt, or before baptiſme, and in their infancie hauehave faith, as diuers think, or hauehave the ſpirit of God as others, ſeeing they are partes of the Church as woe all profeſſe, and members of the body of Chriſt, as wee all ſay, howe can they periſh? none can take his ſheepe, nay not the leaſt lambe of a day olde, Iohn 10.29. nay not yet eaned nor brought into the world, out of his hande, though Sathan ſhould ſtande by to deuoure it vponupon the verie birth,Apoc. 12.4.5. as he did once, for the child the verie ſonne of God, which was taken vp to Gods throne. And why may it not be, that as in earthly paradiſe, ſo in the heauenly Church?Gen. 1.11.12. As there are ſome trees and hearbes ſeeding, ſome budding, ſome bearing fruite: ſo in the heauenly paradiſe on earth, the Church, ſome of Gods ſeruants in the wombe, ſome budding out, ſome new waſht, as it were from the pooles. If the firſt Adam could bring an euerlaſting taint vponupon them, ſhal not the baptiſme and death of the ſecond Adam wipe it out? The infant cannot reaſon, yet it hath the ſeed of reaſon, as it hath a ſoule, though it know not ſo much of it ſelfe. Thus ſome argue: May it not hauehave faith ſhed in the heart of it?Ephe. 3.17. for who can tell how God dwelleth in the heart of the elect?Rom. 8.9. He that hath not the ſpirit of God, is none of his. Is not this the glorious impreſsion and ſtampe of that heauenly ſeale, that the child is aſſumpted into the aſſociation and fellowſhip of the bleſſed Trinitie,Matth. 28.19. into whoſe name it is baptized? Childrē muſt come to Chriſt.Mark. 10.13. foreign: or as Luk. 18.15. foreign. What children? Little ones: they that are come to little reaſon, but that they abuſe in trifling, yet theirs is the kingdome of God. If theirs be the kingdom of God, then are they cleane:Apoc. 21.27. for no vncleane thing maye come in his pure ſight. Now what maketh cleane, but faith and Gods ſpirite? their hearts being purified alike by faith.Act. 15.9. The working of Gods ſpirite, is like the inſenſible pearcing of the winde,Ioh. 5.8. which getteth in no man knoweth how. And may it not get in into the hearts of little children? if their children bee holie, who can ſanctifie them, but the ſanctifier?1. Cor. 6 11. why may not Gods ſpirite his winde get into them? and if they bee ſanctified, then not damned.
Wherefore theſe ſpeeches of the childe vnbaptized: It is an heathen, an infidell, it is damned, I would not hauehave my child in the like caſe, for millions: are ſpeeches indeede heatheniſh, full of infidelitie, of raſh iudgement, & vncharitablenes; not onelyonly by damnatorie ſpeeches againſt the dead: but againſt the liuing God, that hath taken them away as he would. Doth not the ſpirit ſpeake better things?Luk. 6.37. Iudge not, and thou ſhalt not be iudged: condemne not, and thou ſhalt not be condemned: nay acquite, aſſoyle, deliuer, and thou ſhalt hauehave a meaſure of ſuch mercifull conſtruction meaſured vntounto thee: not as thou vſeſt to doe, ſparingly, ſtreight by the brimmes of the meaſure: but with a meaſure preſſed downe, ſhaken together, and running ouer. And yet Proteſtants ſpeake ſo. So naturall a thing is Poperie, ſo quickly doe wee drinke in error before wee bee taught it.
Ephe. 4.20.HaueHave we ſo learned Chriſt? are his lawes ſo ful of ruefulnes? Of Draco the lawgiuer it is written, that al his lawes were death: death if thou doe this, death if thou doe not that, ſtill the fatall noyſe of death ended the lawe. Therefore they note the pen to drop crueltie, the inke and writing to bee bloud. But Chriſt is no Draco, a Dragon:Ioh. 1.29. He is a lambe that takes away the ſinnes of the whole world, a world of ſinnes: much more this lambe of God to heale theſe little lābes of his flocke. His lawes are not lawes of Draco, they ſpeake peace:Heb. 12.24. his bloud crieth better things then the bloud of Abel: for that crieth vengeance vponupon Cayne his brother.Gen. 4.10. But Chriſts bloud crieth with a ſtrong voyce as of a mightie Angel: my bloud for all bloud:Rom. 5.10. my bodie for all ſinne, euen of mine enemies. This were to make Chriſt an Herode: for Herode ſent out his men of warre to ſley and murder moſt butcherly, infants from two yeares old downward,Matth 2.16. among whom were ſome vncircumciſed: then Rachel in Rama lifts vp bitter voyces of lamentation; no cōfort: they are not. Indeede if Chriſt were not a Herauld of peace rather, then a Herod, and that hee ſent out his meſſengers of warre, as death and graue to deuoure, the diuell and hell to damne the vnbaptized: then indeede might Rachel lift vp her voyce, & put on her mourning weede: then eueryevery mother and father, ſiſter and brother, might howle and weepe, and anſwere one an other with dolefull ecchoes and remediles complaints, no comfort, no conſolation, becauſe they are not: nay, becauſe they are, that is, they are in endles ſorowe: for better it were not to bee at all. But bleſſed bee God who hath ſealed a better couenant:Gen. 17.7. With thee and thy ſeede I make my couenant: bleſſed bee God who hath cleared our comfort:1. Cor. 7.11.14 Eſay. 9.6. Your children are holy: Bleſſed be God that concerning the childe borne in Eſai, hath cauſed heauen and earth to heare a better melodie from an armie of heauenly ſouldiers:Luk. 2.14. Glorie to God on high, peace on earth belowe, good will towards men. Doe I ſpeake this alone? doe not likewiſe the generall voyce and language of Canaan,Nehe. 13.24. Eſay. 19.18. I meane the Iſrael of God, ſpeake ſo?
Doth our Church alone thinke ſo? and doth not other Churches make vp the harmonie?Rogers in the Engliſh Creed ſet out by authoritie, pag. 33. par. 2 art. 25 The Creede of our Church confeſſeth this among the errors of the Papiſts: that ſo many as are not incorporated into the viſible Church, by the Sacraments, at the leaſt of Baptiſme, are aſſuredly damned: So doth two cōfeſsions of Switzerland, the confeſsion of the Church of Bohemia, the Proteſtant Church of France, ſo of Flanders, ſo of Auſpurge, ſo of Saxonie, and Sweueland, which may be ſeene more at large in the booke of the Harmonie of confeſsions. Alanus Cope reckoneth this vp as one of our errors in England: Dial 6. cap. 9.Infants before they are baptized, to belong to the people of GOD And to this agreeth moſt ſoundly euen he which hath now, by the diſpoſition of God, the chief place in this Church,In his replie in the great volume pag. 516. and profeſſeth that he miſliketh the opinion of theſe, who thinke out of Ioh. 3. infants to be condemned, being not baptized as much as any. It ſhall bee ambition to muſter the names of them who hauehave borne the ſtandard in their places, and are on our ſide: ſo doth *Aret. proble. theol. par. 2 de … ſacr.Aretius at Barnes, *Caluin inſtit. l. 4. c. 16. ſec. 26.Caluin and *Confeſſ. c. 4. ſect. 49. Zuingl. de prouid. Dei. c. 6. tom. 1. pa. 369.Beza at Geneua: certainly Zuinglius at Zurich, calleth them ſacramentaries who attribute ſo much grace to the ſacramēt, ſo much vertue to Baptiſme of it ſelfe. Such a cloud of witneſſes hath this trueth, and this is not only the conſent of the later Churches, but euen a long hath teſtimonie from this Apoſtle, Baptiſme ſaueth, but I meane not ſayeth hee, the waſhing of the water, but the examination of a good conſcience towardes God.
Ephe. 5.26.The Apoſtle Paul ſaith, Chriſt gaue himſelfe for the Church to ſanctifie it by the lauer of water: but how? through the word.Pſalm. 8.2. In Dauids time the Church profeſſeth GODS praiſe, out of the mouth of ſucklings: In the primitiue Church the Cathecumen the not baptized not onelyonly ſaued, but glorified as Martyrs: ſuch an one was Heraclides Origens ſcholler, beheaded vnderunder Seuerus: and Rhais a woman, whō Origen ſaith, to hauehave obtained Baptiſme by fire.Cyp epiſt. ad lubia. Cyprian about the 260. yeare after Chriſt, profeſſeth that not only ſuffering for Chriſt,De conſe. diſtinc. 4. ca. Baptiſmi. but faith and conuerſion of the heart ſupplieth the want of Baptiſme. The councell of Nice ſayth, our Baptiſme is not to bee conſidered with ſenſible eyes, but with the eyes of the mind.Ambroſ. in ſine Ora. ſunes. de obitu Valē. Ambroſe about 380. yeare after Chriſt ſayth of Valentinian the Emperour, who dyed without Baptiſme: Chriſt baptized him when mens offices failed: againe, his faith waſhed him. Saint Auſten, Aug. in l. de ſide ad Petrum.though he is alone almoſt except them that ſuruiued in his owne age in the neceſsitie of Sacraments, making out of the ſixt of Iohn a neceſsitie of the ſupper euen for infants:Ioh. 6.53. becauſe it is ſayd, Vnleſse you eate the fleſhe of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud, you hauehave no life in you: contrary to the rule of the Apoſtle, that none ſhould eate but they who can examine thēſelues:1. Cor. 11.23. yet in diuers places where God asſiſted him more, and hee remembred himſelfe,Aug. l. 13. de ciuit. Dei. ca 7. he yeelded alſo to this truth, making faith and a contrite ſpirit to be in ſtead of Baptiſme, for thus hee ſaith, he that ſayd: Vnles a man be borne of water and the ſpirite hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God, Ioh. 3. ſayd as generally: Hee that confeſſeth mee before men, Luk. 12.8.I will confeſſe him before my Father and the holy Angels: And againe,Luk. 9.24. Hee that leeſeth his life, ſhall ſaue it: and againe, Pſal. 116.15. Precious is the death of the Saints in the ſight of God. Nay hee rather commendeth them that dye ſometimes without Baptiſme, for others for feare of death defer not their baptiſme further: but theſe for louelove to God deferre to liue longer, he exemplifieth alſo in the theefe: and *Aug. lib. 4. de baptiſ. in don. cap. 24.againe, then is Baptiſme fulfilled, when not the contempt of religion, but when the inſtant or momēt of neceſsitie excludeth from viſible Baptiſme. *Serm ad infantes.Againe, none is depriued of the benefit of the ſacrament, ſo long as hee findeth in himſelfe the thing which the ſacrament ſignifieth: again, among whom do you reckon children vnbaptized? verely among beleeuers.Aug de verbis Apoſtoli. ſer. 14. So. l. 3. de quaeſt. vet. teſt. The inuiſible ſanctification may bee without the viſible ſigne, as the viſible ſigne without the true ſanctification.*In ſerm. de 40. Martyribus Baſile ſayth of the iaylour or keeper of the 40. Martyrs, who became a Martyr: hee was baptized by his owne faith,foreign. not by the hand of another: not in water, but in his owne blood. Hieromes iudgement of Aſella we heard aboue.
Yet the diuerſitie of cuſtomes and practiſe of olde is ſtrange herein with the multitude of humane inuentions crept in euen in the primitiue church, that wee may bleſſe God for this puritie of Baptiſme which we enioy.De conſecr. diſt 4. cap. non ratione & in ſeq Terrul de Baptiſ dutiuſculè loquitur. For they vſed only ſolemne times for baptizing, as Eaſter at Rome, by Victors conſtitution, at Eaſter and Pentecoſt in Tertullians time: or the time of mariage, or at their dying day, or on the feaſt of the Epiphany, as in Aſia inſomuch that as Chriſt at 30. yeares of age was baptized:Baptiſme more ſyncerely performed now then of olde. ſo Gregorie at 30. yeares olde, though his father were a Biſhop. So Austen about the ſame time, ſo Ambroſe a Biſhop elect before hee was baptized, and in a Synode of Rome 40 yeares are appointed, except for the ſicke,In 4. Orat. de. Lauac. ſanct. and great with childe, who might at all other times bee baptized And Nazianzene appointed the 4. yeare, when they could giuegive a reaſon of their faith: ſo that when a man once departeth from this, that any thing ſaueth, ſpeedy Baptiſme, or Baptiſme deferred: Baptiſme or no Baptiſme, nay prayer or no prayer, word or no word, whē any thing ſaueth, but this onelyonly Sauiour Chriſt, who roſe, aſcended, raigneth ouer men and Angels, one error increaſeth vponupon another, one inuention accrueth vponupon his former: hence came the croſſe:*Origen. ho. 2. in Pſal. 38. Tertul. de reſur. Cyp. de haer. bapt. hence a kiſſe in Baptiſme, l. 3. ep. 8. Cyp. hence a ring. Tertul. l. de pudicitia. hence to hauehave oyle, *Tertul. de Cor. mil. & l. x. contr. Mar. Hiero. ad Lucifer.and milke, and hony in Baptiſme, not to waſh all the weake after Baptiſme: as nyce men waſh not after the trimming a while from the barber. Euen Constantine the good Emperour ſuperſtitiouſly deſired to be baptized in Iordan, as Naaman would carie ſome earth from thence (whereas he ſhould hauehave caried water rather,2. King. 5.…7. but that ſuperſtition is fooliſh) which yet Constantine obtained not, but was baptized at Nicomedia feared by death to deferre it further. Hence it came that they deferred Baptiſme till death, that al ſins might be forgiuen at once, and grewe to baptizing by *De conſec. diſt. 4. ca conſtat. & in ſeq.lay people, & women, & ſometime to approue Baptiſme with ſand: and yet the ſtory of a Iew Baptized with ſād,Niceph. l. 3. c. 37. who after had water added to him auoweth their feare to depart from the inſtitution.
So good a thing is it to ſticke to the pure & vnmedled beginning of word and ſacraments, to looke to the originals and cleere fountaines. God ordained it pure and in ſimplicitie, without mixture of additaments,Eccle ….31. but men foūd out many inuentions, as the ſcripture ſpeaketh in another caſe, howe good then is it to giuegive that vntounto God which is due vntounto God, that vntounto the creature which is due vntounto it, that vntounto Baptiſme which appertaineth vntounto it? The Synod of Neocaeſaraea noteth theſe errors by the conſent of 17. Biſhops: he that is baptized in ſickneſſe not to bee admitted to the office of any *Ad Presbyterium. Euſeb. l. 6 c. 43miniſtration in the Church. *Epiſt. 77. ad Hugo.Bernard in a long Epiſtle, proueth in his time that this trueth continued vntill his time, prouing that not the abſence but contempt of Baptiſme condemneth. And this is not onelyonly the voyce in Sion, Babilon heard of it, & the ſtrength of the truth hath made diuers of them to yeelde, and hath prouoked one againſt another.Tho. Par. …. q. …8 art. 3. Their Thomas who ſayde more for Popery then them all, though as pitch hee defile holy Baptiſme, and many other holy thinges wherewith he medled: yet ſayth hee, a man expecting the ſet time of the Church for Baptiſme, though he bee preuented by death, he is ſaued. Bellarmine (Reader of Rome)Quaeſt. de Baptiſ. in his Dictates is greatly troubled not with anſwering vsus, but with Caietane, the flowre of their Cardinals, with Gerſon Chancellor of Paris, with Titleman a deuout Papiſt: that as Chriſt wroong out teſtimonie from Sathan, ſo hath the trueth in this poynt ſet falſehood vponupon the racke, and made it confeſſe.
Nay, theſe Papiſts being vrged but by their owne conſideration of the matter, they leaue a ſound teſtimonie. So doth Biell a great ſchooleman: So doth Alzimoney diſcourſe,Tract. de Baptiſ. a diligent & learned writer on their ſide, ſaying: Neceſſary is two-fold, either abſolute, as meate for life, or as conuenient, and fit to atchieue our purpoſe, as the horſe for the end of our iourney. Baptiſme is neceſſarie this laſt way. So that the aduerſarie giues iudgemēt on our ſide: ſo great a conſent hath this truth: ſuch a peale of voyces God hath raiſed to repeale the bloudie Herodian decree of Rome: ſo ſtrong a crye of Churches neere and farre off, at home and abroade, of later and more ancient, of Scriptures, Councels and Fathers, friends and enemies, crying out vponupon them that menace hell and death and wrath to the babes vnwaſhed, who meaſure ſo hard a meaſure to poore infants, as becauſe they enioy little of this life, they muſt leeſe al the next life, not heauen, but a hell, no honour of buriall, but to bee buried ſeparatly, as though they ſhould infect the reſt.
And yet ſee pitifull hearts in the middeſt of crueltie ſome drop of merciemercy,Limbus infantum. an eaſie hell, a brimme of hell, not ſo bad as the damned is the hell for theſe forlorne innocents, a hell not ſo bad as for the actuall ſinners. Who ſayth ſo?Bellar de purg. lib. 2. ca. 6. col. 790. A. in maior. …olum. Bellarmine, Florence Councell, Innocentius the 3. the Schoolemen: but no more: and theſe be their proofes: As if one ſhould ſay, a corrupt vpſtart Iudge, his court, bench, and a packe of falſe Notaries: but none of them hauing any gray haire of antiquitic. This admiration of the effect of Baptiſme, and thus to be enamored vponupon the element, made the heretikes Marcion and his,Tertul. lib. 1. & 4. in Marcion. Philaſtr. and the Cataphrygians and theirs, to baptize euen the dead: euen as the Papiſts baptize euen bels, and that not by meane Miniſters, but euen by Biſhops. O fooliſh & mad generation: But hauehave they no reaſon for it?
Yes, they make a ſhewe of miracle, of Scripture, of Fathers. That they may ſeeme to bee mad with reaſon, Scripture, Fathers, miracles: Miracles out of Euodius: Scriptures eſpecially 2: Iohn 3. Mark 16.16. Fathers among the ancient, eſpecially Austin. I my ſelfe hauehave in this argument alleadged Fathers, contrarie to my ordinary vſe, ſeeing indeed Gods voyce alone ſhuld bee heard.2. Cor. 10 13. But to let you ſee the line of expoſition, that I goe not alone in a ſingularitie, but hauehave the cōſent of the Paſtors of other ages and Churches. Alanus Cope telleth a fabulous miracle to prooue it: A woman whoſe ſonne dyed vnbaptized, brings him dead before the memorie of S. Steuen, moaning that ſhe had loſt her child in this life and in the life to come: Suddenly life enters into him, a Prieſt is ſent for, the childe was baptized, and preſently dyed againe. O ſpirite of witchery which maketh them to truſt lying fables: for firſt of al himſelfe letteth fall ſomewhat that ſtaineth his witneſſe: he ſaith in Auſtins ſermons of late imprinted at Iouaine, The booke not written by Eudius …ut to him.two clauſes to too vnindifferent to condemne millions of infants: The miracle a night witneſſe:Alanus Copus Dal. 3. cap 25. the teſtimonie vpſtart. Why of late printed? Why at Louaine? Secondly, herein they bewray that the voyce of God hath nothing againſt theſe babes: ſeeing as Chriſt ſayd to the woman, when none durſt condemne her, Iohn 8. Neither doe I condemne thee: So when Chriſt condemnes them not, that they muſt ſet teſtimonies from vauts & ſepulchers, and from the withered bones of the dead men. But yet theſe little ones, their bones are not bruſed:Mark. 10.14. theirs alſo is the kingdome of God. For thirdly, why did not the mother carrie it to his owne graue, and not to S. Steuens tombe? or rather, why did ſhe at all bring a damned carkaſſe within hallowed ground, againſt their cuſtome? and good reaſon if for euer, it be Gods enemie, a damned miſcreant, why ſhould it hauehave the honour of buriall? Fourthly, if it were damned before, & the ſoule gone to hell: is there redemption from hell, againſt all trueth, and their owne iudgement? Fiftly, why preſently a Prieſt ſent for? might ſhe not thinke the ſame power that reſtored life to her childe, able to preſerue him in life? or was not the life quite gone at al, and this deuiſe taken vp by cōpact to nouriſh ſuperſtitious minds, or if it muſt needes bee preſently baptized, becauſe this their falſe Saint Steuen gaue it ſuch a weake deadly life, that would not hold out, why might not her ſelfe, or ſome woman preſent (for it is not improbable others alſo to hauehave gone with her in neighborhood or ſuperſtition) according to their doctrine, hauehave baptized it: but they muſt tarie the time till a Prieſt come, who hold in their good diuinitie in ſuch a caſe of neceſsitie, that euen women may doe it: or laſtly, why did ſhe not goe to Saint Steuen for a ſecond life?
But lyers and inuentors hauehave no abſolute good memories: let vsus come to their ſcriptures, they are two: the firſt, Ioh. 3 5. Except a mā be borne of water & the ſpirit, he cānnot ſee the kingdom of God. This place neceſſarily inferreth ſay they, the neceſsity of baptiſme. Why? the words; are plaine, and yet if ſo, it is as plaine for them that vſe a hot ….Iron in Baptiſme, not to go from this matter, for example, becauſe it is ſayd, Chriſt ſhall baptize with the holy Ghoſt & with fire: and not to goe from this place, it is as plaine for an olde man to be borne againe: ſo plaine that …enus once miſtook it, though a maſter in Iſraell. But to come to the meaning: doth water ſignifie here of neceſsitie, the element of water vſed in Baptiſme: howe knowe they that? for in the former chapter no occaſion is giuen to ſpeake of Baptiſme, nor in the beginning of this. And ſecondly, Chriſt ſeemeth rather to tell what is neceſſary for men in yeares, who can make profeſsion as Nicodemus who diſſembled, then for infants: neither is any mention made of Baptiſme all the time of his abode in Galile, where he was at the marriage, or whilſt he was at Ieruſalem, where this ſpeech ſeemeth to bee vntill hee came into Iury, verſ. 22. As though Chriſt ſayd: thou wouldeſt learne the way to heauen, & thou knoweſt it in part alreadie, that I am a teacher come from God, verſ. 1. And yet thou halteſt in the day betweene two, and goeſt vpright in the night onelyonly: but I tell thee, I being a true teacher tell thee that thou muſt walke as a child of the day, thou muſt be borne againe, that is, bee renued in the ſpirit of thy minde to bee of another iudgement, euen to profeſſe the name of God opēly, els thou canſt not ſee the kingdome of God: Vnles thou ſhewe thy ſelfe to be in my kingdome of the Goſpell by open profeſsion on earth, thou canſt not ſee my kingdome aboue:verſ. 3. Except a man, that is, of ſuch a iudgement as thou alreadie art, and all naturall men be,verſ. 4. be borne againe and altered in the ſpirit, they cannot ſee the kingdome of God. When he marueiled what it was to bee borne againe, Chriſt expoundeth it thus: I ſay, vnles he bee borne againe of water and the ſpirit: making it all one to be borne againe of the ſpirit and of water: and the ſpirit, making it all one to be borne againe of one of them and of thē both: and which is the more excluſiue? for that which he had ſayd in one word, Except a man be borne of the ſpirit, he after expoundeth the manner how the ſpirit muſt work, as water in waſhing vsus, in ſanctifying vsus, in renuing vsus. For he ſayth, Vnles a man be borne of water and the ſpirit: which to bee the meaning, the tenour and paſſage of all the ſpeech had with Nicodemus, ſheweth, as firſt the oppoſing of earthlie birth, and ſpiritual, verſ 6. That which is borne of fleſh, is fleſh: which ſentence proueth rather, that water ſaueth not: as though fleſhly, earthly, and carnall things can goe no further then fleſh, earth, nor hauehave no further effects: A mans ſoule is a ſpirite: water an elementarie bodie: an earthly thing can not purge a ſpirituall ſubſtance: no proportion betweene the agent & patient, the doer and ſufferer: euen as of old the bloud of beaſts could not take away ſinnes, Heb. 10.1.2.3. ſo not now the waſhing of water can take away ſinne. Secondly, the aſcribing of the meanes to Gods free-will, verſ. 8. and his louelove, verſ. 16. by the worke of the ſpirite, and incarnation of the ſonne, verſ. 13. telling the hardnes of it, verſ. 8.11.12. whereas outward waſhing is eaſie: finally, in that verſe 18. Chriſt maketh faith the meanes of ſaluation, and not faith damnation: He that beleeueth is ſaued: he that beleeueth not is damned. So that vnles a man will ſay that infants hauehave faith, this toucheth infants nothing at all: and if they hauehave faith, then thoſe only ſaued, who hauehave this faith by the gift of God. So that this general rule, Except, proueth this: that without conuerſion of heart, and renuing of the ſpirit of our minde inwardly, there is no ſaluation. And that by water is mēt Gods ſpirit; the fruits, the graces of it, many ſcriptures declare, eſpecially in the ſtile and phraſe of Chriſt himſelfe in this Euangeliſt: in the next chapter, verſ. 14. He that drinketh of the water which I giuegive, ſhal neuer thirſt: for Baptiſme is not generally a wel of water to euerlaſting life, therefore it is ment of Gods ſpirit: & the miracle of Chriſt healing without water,Iohn 5. declareth that the elemēt ought not to be in that credite. So Iohn 7.39. He that beleeueth, riuers of water of life ſhall flow out of his bellie. But if any man aske: how will you proue water to ſignifie the ſpirit here? I anſwere, euen hence, verſ. 39. This he ſayd of the ſpirit: It alſo hath the accord of the old Teſtament, ſo Iere. 2.3.10. Ezech. 36.25. Eſai. 4.4. The Lorde ſhall waſh the filthines of Sion, with the ſpirit of iudgement and burning. Laſtly, I aske whether if this propoſition, verſ. 5 bee generall excluſiue, Except a man be borne of water and the ſpirit, &c. why the former propoſition, verſ 3. which is firſt by nature, conſiſting of as generall tearmes in arte: Except a man bee borne of the ſpirit, &c. be not as generall: which if it bee, and what reaſon can be ſhewed to the contrarie, then it being alſo general and excluſiue, why ſhould it not ſhut out the neceſsitie of materiall water?
Here alſo if abſolutely materiall water be vnderſtood, then no Martyr ſaued without it, not the theefe on the croſſe, not the Apoſtles vnbaptized, not the good Emperour Valentinian, and many other who in priſon, or warre deſire it. The other place, Mark. 16.16. anſwereth it ſelfe, aſcribing all to faith, for hauing ſayd, He that beleeueth and is baptized ſhall bee ſaued: addeth ſtraight way to preuent error, but he that beleeueth not, and not hee that is not baptized, ſhall bee damned. Now as for Austen, it is true that hee in the matter of the ſacraments neceſſitie, yea in both of them made it an exigence of neceſsitie, both to be performed: ſo that as vponupon this place, he groundeth though falſly as vponupon a foundation of water, the neceſsitie of Baptiſme, ſo vponupon the next place, Ioh. 6.53. Vnles ye eate the fleſh of the Son of man, and drinke his blood, yee hauehave no life in you. Not only hee but Innocentius & al that age almoſt ground a neceſsitie of the Supper, inſomuch that they gaue it to infants contrary to the rule of Paul, Let a mā examine him ſelfe, &c. & the meaning of this place, which is of the ſpirituall receiuing of Chriſt and incorporating into him by the ſpirite in generall, and in particular by the meanes of the ſpirite working in the worde, in Baptiſme, or in the Supper, or in whatſoeuer. Fitly is it ſayd to this purpoſe by Saint Hierome in Pſalm. 147. When we heare the worde of the Lorde, the fleſh of Chriſt and his bloud is powred in at our eares.
Let vsus now come to the vſe,The third and laſt part. comfort, ende, and neceſsitie of Baptiſme: which though it be not abſolutely, & ſimply neceſſarie, yet in his due place and time, if it may bee had according to Chriſts inſtitution, cannot bee neglected, without great ſinne. For herein of diuers men there are diuers extremities: as of the moſt of the Papiſts, who make it abſolutely neceſſarie: ſo of the Manichees on the other ſide, who generally cut off al ſignes,Aug. in Fauſtum. lib. 19. becauſe they making God not to be the author of theſe ſenſible and earthly things, thereupon inferred, that the worſhip by theſe earthly things could not bee gratefull to him. So the Cathatiſts, who becauſe God is a ſpirit, and men muſt worſhip him in ſpirit, reiected all helpe of earthly meanes. And laſt of all,Aug. haer. 88. the Pelagians who becauſe they exempt men from originall ſinne, doe thinke Baptiſme needles, to purge that which is not: wherein you may firſt ſee the notable, wilfull, and ſpitefull malice of the Rhemiſts, who in Iohn 3.5. ioyne the Caluiniſts and Pelagians together, as both promiſing alike life eternall to children dying without Baptiſme: when as they differ as hell and heauen in the cauſes of ſaluation. For Caluin acknowledgeth children to bee vnderunder originall ſinne: Pelagius did not: yet Caluin thinketh not the elect of God to periſh, if in ſome caſe they bee preuented of outward Baptiſme. Laſtly of Anabaptiſts, who would not hauehave infants baptized, but them of yeares: againſt whom at this time, beſide that which is ſayd aboue, this may be ſufficient: that ſeeing childrē hauehave ſin, they ought to be waſhed: and ſeeing they belong vntounto GOD, they ought to bee ſealed. As for the Manichees, ſeeing wee acknowledge the ſame Lord Creator of heauen and earth, one God maker of both, the ſame almightie and moſt holie ſpirite to hauehave made the greateſt Angell and moſt deſpiſed worme: and that hee made al things good, and to a moſt excellent end, that therefore both againſt them and the Cathariſts,1. Tim. 4.8. though it be true that bodily exerciſe profiteth little; as waſhing by water, taking of bread and wine, much reading, much repeating of prayer, much hearing and ſitting by it to heare, much preaching alſo, vnles the ſpirit alſo concurre and our inwarde deſire: yet as God made bodie and ſpirit, and therefore muſt be glorified in both: ſo ſeeing he made both viſible and inuiſible things, both ſpirituall and corporall things, both ſerue for his glorie, both are helpers of our faith; if firſt wee remember, that we vſe them, when wee hauehave the expreſſe word of God for them. As becauſe the Lorde biddeth vsus baptize with water: therefore in doing ſo we build vponupon the rocke: and we thinke wee ſhould tempt GOD, if when he ſhould teach vsus the waſhing away of our ſinnes in Chriſt, by the powring on of water, wee ſhould refuſe ſuch a comfortable and liuely repreſentation, and deſerue to heare the check that K. Achaz had, Eſai. 7.11.12. who being in weakneſſe of faith when Ieruſalem was beſieged, would not aske a ſigne, when the offer was made in Chriſt, but was reproued as one not that deſpiſed the miniſter and bringer of the ſigne, but had grieued the God of the miniſter, and author of that ſigne. Is it a ſmall thing to grieue men, Eſay. 7.11.but you muſt alſo grieue my God? ſayth Eſay.
The defeating of Baptiſme ſeemeth to come three waies: one by open contempt and deſpiſing of Gods wiſdome in it: Heatheniſh and prophane men cannot tell what to make of the ſprinkling of water, nor of the bleſſing of it in the name of the bleſſed trinitie, as the Infidels, and Atheiſts, and Paynims doe vntounto this day, being ignorant that Chriſt Matth. 28. when he ordained Baptiſme, ſayd: Al power in heauen and earth is giuen vntounto me, goe and baptize, I am with you for euer: So that here is not naked water, or the bare clemēt, or a few words repeated: but here is the power of God with it, his wiſedome to eſtabliſh it, his conſtancie to auowe it, his holines to ſanctifie it, his merciemercy to bleſſe it: ſo that as an odde thing, or new thing they which deſpiſe it, deſpiſe not mās aduiſe, but Gods counſel againſt them ſelues, Luk. 7.30. as did the Phariſies. And hee that will not followe Gods counſell, how ſhall he thriue, though all the heads in the world ſhould deuiſe for him? Another diſappoyntmēt of Baptiſme commeth by negligence, as in the people of Iſrael intermitting circumciſion for 40. yeares,Exod. 4.24. as in Moſes, who no doubt acknowledged Gods ordinance for circumciſion, and yet either hauing learned Aegyptian or Midianitiſh manners, or to pleaſe his wife, deferred to do it, ſo that God had like to deſtroyed him in the Inne for it. Which I would hauehave parents conſider, that defer their childrens baptiſme from Lords day to Lords day, and from one time of aſſemblie to another, for no end but to get ſuch and ſuch witneſſes, ſuch and ſuch furniture of their houſes, and ſuch other complement, and outward circumſtances, till death ſtrike their children: which ſinne though the Lord may remit thē, yet their comfort cannot be ſo great, as if they had taken the due time which the Lord offered them: ſeeing by their meanes it commeth to paſſe, whē Miniſter and place and time and all did concurre, they only were wanting, by the ſinne of omiſsion: which thing gouernours Eccleſiaſtical are to looke vntounto, leſt that if eueryevery man by this example ſhould defer if death ſhould intercept, Anabaptiſtrie might creepe in and ſcarſe any child be baptized. The Primitiue Church ſuffered them to want an honourable buriall,Concil. 1. Braccar. who deferred their baptiſme. Of the third defeatement of Baptiſme, by vnauoydable neceſsitie, wee hauehave ſpoken at large, when either the child is preuented by death in the wombe, or out of the wombe: either by negligence or contempt in parents and friends, as in theſe two laſt caſes: or when parents and miniſter, and all are willing, death creepeth in and preuenteth both.
Such occurrents may bee matter of meditation to parents, and Miniſters, and the whole people, of the ſuddennes of death, of the vncertaine ioy and ſtay of poſteritie, that he ſuffereth vsus to beget, but not to poſſeſſe; to hauehave a ſight of our babes, and then ſuddenly taketh them to himſelfe; of Gods almightines, that he doth what he will, and that ſometimes hee ſaueth with meanes, ſometimes without meanes, as ſometimes damneth with meanes, ſometimes without meanes: but yet not ſo that any of theſe accidents ouerthrow the election of God. What then eſtabliſheth the ſubſtance of Baptiſme? what ouerthroweth it? Here wee muſt conſider the inſtitution: Matth. 28. Goe: Who? The Miniſter: Do what? baptize, that is, powre on the water, or dippe it in water: Whom? all nations, that is men, not bels, &c. How? not in the name of the water, or power of it, or any other name in heauen or earth: but of the bleſſed Trinitie. So that a Midwife to baptize, or a priuate man, to whom it was neuer ſayd, Goe, and baptize: likewiſe to vſe ſande, as ſometime hath bin, or ſome other licour: *As oyle and water, by Haeret. I…n. ib. 1. cap. 18.alſo to applie it to bels, & then forſooth Biſhops alone muſt do it, as the Papiſts vſe: and laſtly not to doe it in the name & power and vertue of the Trinitie, I take it to bee the violating of the Lords inſtitution: in which kinds wee ought to refuſe it. But if other circumſtances onelyonly be annexed or not accompanie it,Eccle. 7.31. as it may be truly ſayd of this ſacrament: (God made it ſimple and righteous, and vncompounde, but man founde out many inuentions) theſe things may a little exerciſe our zeale and faith and patience: but they cannot abridge the counſel of God in thee and thine: and therefore if thou maiſt hauehave it without the additamentes of men, the better it is: if not, yet the ſeale of God remaineth ſure, they ſhall beare their iniquitie of ſtubble, ſo meane a matter built vponupon ſo good a foundation that hauehave brought it vp, or maintaine it: vntil God purge them by his triall of fire, as in the worde, ſo in the ſacrament, *1. Cor. 3.15.when as the ſtubble ſhall vaniſh, but the good foundation ſhall ſaue them. Doe thou as much as thou canſt communicate with God in his inſtitution: for as we are to deſire not onelyonly the milke of the worde,1. Peter 2.2. but the ſyncere milke of it: ſo in the Lords ſeale, wee ought rather to take his engrauing duplicate page duplicate page alone then any characters of man.
And to drawe to an ende, I would not onelyonly hauehave men peremptorie for the Sacrament, but for the word alſo, which is the life of the Sacrament: what is water without the worde, but water? therefore if the neglect or the contempt of the Sacrament bee a ſinne, is not the deſpiſing of the word, and neglect of it a ſinne alſo? becauſe many are wonderfull paſsionate,The neceſſitie of the word to be thought on, as of Baptiſme if God himſelfe preuent of Baptiſme, but themſelues for themſelues and others, are nothing compaſsionate: making no care nor conſcience of their aſsiduitie and diligence to heare the word. Surely the worde hath ſaued without Baptiſme, but baptiſme without the worde neuer: Ioh. 15.3. You are cleane becauſe of the word: and that you may knowe the words deſpiſing hath power to damne alſo, conſider what the ſcripture ſaith, Ioh. 12.48. The word ſhall iudge you: and againe, Hee that deſpiſeth the worde his prayer is abominable: Prou. 28.9.and againe,Math. 10.40. He that reiecteth the Preacher, reiecteth him that ſent him, which is the Lord: and againe, Faith commeth by hearing, Rom. 10.14. Rom. 14.23.which faith alone pleaſeth GOD. Chriſt Math. 23.16. calles the Phariſees blind guides, fooles and blind: becauſe they counted it ſinne to ſweare by the gold of the Temple, but by the Temple to ſweare was nothing: ſo to ſweare by the Aultar, nothing, but by the offering vponupon the Aultar a ſinne. Now fooles and blind, which is greater, gold or Temple, Altar or offering? For the Temple conteineth God that dwelleth in it: the Altar, that is God worſhipped at it. So let the deſpiſers of the word either vaniſh & wonder, Act. 13.31. for Gods work vponupon their blindnes that can ſee a mote of contempt in Baptiſme, and not the beame of contempt in the worde, or elſe acknowledge their blindnes: Baptiſme is as gold, it is as a holy offering: but yet the word ſanctifieth it, and if it be not offered as it were vponupon the holy Altar of the word, this golde becommeth droſſe, becauſe there wanteth Gods word, as fire to trie it: & though it bee the offering of the fruite of thy body, thine owne fleſh to the Lorde, yet vnles thou doe it as the Lord hath commanded, there is a ſauour of death in it, and not of life: The propo…tion muſt be kept, Leuit. 17.4 In ſacrifices diſobedience is as murder: and why not in ſacraments?
Wherefore beloued, let vsus not deſpiſe Baptiſme, let vsus not deſpiſe the word: Baptiſme is good, and holy, and comfortable with the word, the word is wholſome, and comfortable in his place, with Baptiſme and without it, let vsus get a ſpirite of diſcerning ſpirits, to diſtinguiſh betweene outward waſhing and inwarde, betweene the leauen of poperie, who ſowre the ſweete water of baptiſme & make it Marah, let vsus rather ſeaſon it with caſting in ſome part of the tree of life,2. King. 2.21. as Eliza did to the waters of Iericho, and healed the land from vntimely birth. Let vsus preſerue a good conſciēce by communing with our hearts dayly examined, ſo ſhal neither we, nor our church hauehave vntimely birth for ſaluation, as they had in Iericho: ſo ſhall not Baptiſme be vnfruitfull to vsus, but be laden with all the benefites of Chriſts reſurrection, aſcenſion, glorie at Gods right hand, and dominions ouer Angels, and then neither death nor life. Baptiſme, nor not Baptiſme, neither things paſt, preſent, nor to come, ſhall ſeparate vsus from the louelove of Ieſus Chriſt:Rom. 8.38. which ſhal bring vsus vntounto God.
Errata.
In the epiſtle to the reader, page 4. line 27. for, inſancicida, reade infanticida. p. 45. l. 18. for, Secondly, r. Seuenthly. p. 59. l. 17. for, that is God, r. God that…s.
End of the text · William Hubbock, An Apology of Infants (1595)