The Character of the Beast, Debate 2 · Richard Clifton 12
Mr. Rich. Clifton.
Now followes the third reaſon.
3. Bicauſe if infants be baptized, the carnal ſeed is baptized, & ſo the ſeal of the covenant is adminiſtred to them, vntounto whom the covenant aperteyneth not, Rom. ….8. which is a profanation.
Anſwere.
1. This reaſon ſemeth to imply, that the ſeed of the faithful is part carnal, & part Spiritual, (for I cannot imagine that the Author holdeth al the ſeed of the faithful to be carnal. & that the covenant aperteynes not vntounto any of them, ſeing ſo to affirme contradicts. Act. 2.39.) & therfor bicauſe the Spiritual ſeed is not diſcerned vntil it manifeſt it ſelfe by outward profeſſion, therefore may not be baptized, leſt in baptiſing them, the ſeal should be ſet alſo vpoon the carnal ſeed, vntounto whom belōgs not the covenant. To affirme this firſt is to deny that which is due to the ſeed to whom the promiſe belongs, for the wickeds ſake, & ſo to injurie them. Secondly, this reaſon alſo ſerves as wel againſt the circumciſion of the infants of the Iſraelites, ſeing at eight dayes of Age they could not be diſcerned, whether they were of the carnal or Spiritual ſeed, & ſo the ſeale of the covenāt not to be adminiſtred to thē, to whom the covenant did not belong. But as then the not diſcerning hereof, did nothing hinder circumciſion to bee adminiſtred to all the infants of the Iſraelites, no more now can the not knowing of the Spiritual ſeed from the carnall, hinder baptiſme.
2. Touching the ſeed of the faithful, thus I conceive therof that it is carnall & Spiritual in divers reſpects, carnal as they do naturally deſcend of their parents, ſo are they al alike in ſinne, Pſal. 51.3. Spiritual, in reſpect of the covenant wherein they are comprehended with their parents. Gen. 17.7. Act. 2.39. in which regard alſo, al the children of the Faithful are ſaid to be holy, 1. Cor. 7.14. & thus conſidered I deny the children of the faithful to be carnal ſeed, & do affirme that to ſuch belongs the covenant & the ſeale therof. & though ſome of them in the right of God be known for none of his, yet to vsus it ſufficeth for the adminiſtration of baptiſme, that they be the ſeed of the faithful: & therfor as the Iſraelites circumciſed all their children, (though ſome of them proved to be carnal afterward, as Iſmael, Eſau, &c.) ſo are wee to baptiſe al our infants, leaving ſecreete things to God, Deuteron. 29.29.
3, If this be ſufficient to cleere vsus from profaning of the Sacrament if wee baptiſe them that make confeſſion of their faith, bicauſe they ſo doe, though they bee not the children of God, as S. Magus, Act. 8, 13. then is it not ſimply a profaning of baptiſ…, to adminiſter it to them vntounto whome belongs not the covenant, but to …ne it to them which plainly appeare to vsus to bee without: Therfore, if no man dare take vponupon him to ſay this or that infant is carnall & without the covenant of grace, it shalbe no profanation of the Sacramēt, if it be adminiſtred vntounto ſuch, ſeing we ought to hold the ſeed of the faithful, holy, 1. cor. 7.14. If it be objected (as ſome have done to me, that al the ſeed of the faithful are carnal, & ſo to beheld vntil they beleeve & make confeſſion of their faith. I anſwer, firſt, if they take carnal, as it is oppoſed to the children of promiſe in Rom. 9.8. I vterly deny it, for the children of the Flesh can never be the children of promiſe, Rom. 9.8.13. Theſe two ſeeds are made ſo oppoſite by the Apoſtle, as that the one can never be the other. Secondly, if by carnal they meane nothing els, but that natural corruption wherein we are borne: That hinders infants no more from baptiſme, then it doth thoſe that can give an account of their faith, ſeing natural corruption remaineth ſtil in the pureſt profeſſor, Rom. 7.23 & if it be replyed, that their natural corruption is not imputed to them that beleeve, no more (ſay I) is it to infants, els Chriſt dyed not for them, neither could they be ſaved, dying whilſt they be yong.
Laſtly, if Abrah. knowing that God would eſtabliſh his covenant to Iſaac Geneſ. 17, 19. yet circumciſed Iſmael, vſus. 24. & Iſaac knowing that God had choſen his yonger ſonne, Gen. 25.23. with 27.33. yet circūciſed Eſau aswel as Iacob, & in ſo doing neither of them profaned the Sacrament: much leſſe is baptiſme profaned, when it is adminiſtred to the ſeed of the faithful to whom belongeth the promiſe, Act. 2.39. And thus having shewed the weaknes of theſe 3. reaſons againſt the baptiſing of infants, let vsus come to the ſecond poſition, which is this.