The Character of the Beast, Debate 2 · John Smith 2 – Richard Clifton 3
Iohn Smyth.
Now in the next place you make a ſpecial preface to the firſt point, affirming that baptiſme of infants was denyed by Auxentius the Arrian, & by Pelagius whom Auguſtine & others refuted & condemned for hereſy, & that by Scripture: I ſay that one heretique condemned another contrary to the Scriptures for the truths ſake & whereas you bring in the Fathers in this particular point in your 6. pag. I anſwere I can prove that Auguſtine, Cyrill, Ciprian, Origen, Nazianzen, Ambroſe, & many others were almoſt as groſſe heretiques (if he be an heretique that holdeth an hereſy) as Auxentius & Pelagius, & you your ſelves account thē all Antichriſtians: & therfor the auncient practiſe of pedobaptiſtry in auncient antichriſtian Churches is no more to be reſpected then the auncient practiſe of the Prelacy & read prayer in the fame: but theſe are but Florishes: let vsus heare your arguments from the Scripture proving. 1. That infants are to be baptiſed,
Your firſt argument is taken from Gen. 17.10. & is framed thus:
That covenant which God made with Abraham, he commaunded to be ſealed to him, & to al his ſeed, yea even to infants.
But the covenant that we vnderunder the goſpel do receave is the very ſame that was made to Abraham, &c.
Therfor it is commaunded to be ſealed to vsus, & to our ſeed, yea evē to our infāts for ſo was it to Abrahams.
To this argument I make answer thus: firſt diſtinguishing the two covenants or teſtaments (for a covenant & teſtament is al one in the originals though the English words are two): one covenant was made with Abraham & his carnal ſeed & of that covenant was circumciſion a ſeale: another covenant made with Abrahā & his Spiritual ſeed, & of that covenant the holy Spirit of promiſe is the ſeale: for the carnall covenant had a carnal ſeale vppon the carnal ſeed: the Spiritual covenant had a Spiritual ſeale vppon the Spiritual ſeed: For things muſt be made proportionable, & circumciſion which was a carnal ſeale, could not ſeale vp the Spiritual covenant to the Spiritual ſeed, for to ſay ſo, is to leap over the hedg & to make a disproportion betwixt the type & the truth.
Theſe things being thus diſtinguished let thē bee remembred & applyed orderly & the argument wil appeare of no value: for the major is thus to be vnderſtood if it be true that the carnal covenant which God made with Abrahā & his carnal ſeed, was to be ſealed vp to his infants with a carnal ſeale, viz: circumciſion: if it be not ſo vnderſtood it is falſe: Now the minor, if it be aſſumed out of the major, (as it muſt be, els it is a Sophiſme) is very falſe & flatly contradictory to the Scripture: for we vnderunder the goſpel do not receave that carnal covenant which was made to Abraham & his carnal ſeed, whereof circumciſion was the carnal ſeale: but that carnal covenant & ſeale together with the ſubject of that ſeale, viz: a male of 8. dayes old is taken away by Chriſts croſſe: & in the rome thereof we have the Spiritual covenant typed by that carnal covenant, & the Spiritual ſeale viz: the holy Spirit of promiſe ſignified by that carnal ſeale, & the Spiritual infant, viz: a new borne babe in Chriſt, in whom Chriſt typed by the male is newly formed, ſignified by that carnal infant.
That al theſe particulars are ſo: I prove vntounto you plainly by theſe places of Scripture.
1. There are two Teſtaments made with Abraham, Gal. 4.24. For Agar that is the old Teſtament, & Sara that is the new Teſtament, were both maryed to Abrahā, & Abraham had them both.
2. There are two ſeedes: Iſmaell (of Abraham & Hagar) who typed the carnall ſeed borne after the Flesh: & Iſaac (of Abraham & Sara) who typed the Spiritual ſeed borne by promiſe vers. 23.
There are two ſeales: Circumciſion a ſeale of the carnal covenant vppon the carnal children: Gen. 17.11. & the Holy Spirit of promiſe a ſeale of the Spirituall covenant vppon the Spiritual ſeed, 2. Cor. 1.22. Eph. 1.13. & as circumciſion was a ſeale from God to the carnal ſeed of the promiſe & from the carnall ſeed to God in obedience: So the Spirit of promiſe is a ſeale from God to the Spiritual ſeed of the promiſe, & from the Spiritual ſeed to the Lord in obedience, Eph. 1.13. Ioh. 3.33. theſe things are evident: but now you, I am perſwaded of mere ignorance, miſtaking the covenant, doe make circumciſion a ſeale of the everlaſting Spiritual covenant, which is an error, & therevppon you build all your falſe building of pedobaptiſtry which is as a howſe built vppon the ſand by the foolish builders.
Now for your places of Scripture I expound them in order.
Gen. 17.10.11.12. this place proveth that circumciſion was a ſeale of the carnall covenant made with the carnall ſeed, & not a ſeale of the Spirituall covenant made with the Faithful: For the Spirit is the ſeale thereof, who is therfor called the Spirit of promiſe, & the ſeale. Eph. 1.13. & if the place of the Rom. 4.11. be objected to prove that circumciſion ſealed the righteouſnes of Faith to Abraham: I anſwer, that is not the ſcope of the place: but this: viz: that circumciſion had one ſpecialty in Abraham differing from al other, that by circumciſion he was ſealed vp to be the Father of al the Faithful as cōcerning the matter of their juſtificatiō, namely, that as he was juſtifyed by his actual Faith ſo should all the beleevers bee juſtifyed by their actuall Fayth whither they beleeved in their vncircumciſion or in their circumciſion.
Act. 2.39. the promiſe is offered to the impenitent Iewes, & to their poſterity, & to the Gentils a far of: & it was exhibited only to ſo many as yeelded obedience to the Fayth: & whereas in rehearſing the Apoſtles ſpeech, you ſay, the promiſe is made I ſay, therein you ad to the text. For if you intend that the promiſe of the Spirit was exhibited to al the Iewes & their infants, & to the Gentils beleeving & their infants & that this place afordeth it, I ſay the place doth not intend any ſuch thing but only an offer of the Spiritual covenant, to the carnal Iewes & their children, according to the Flesh, & alſo the Gentils: but a true conferring or exhibiting of it to ſo many as should be effectually called by the offer of it in the preaching of the Goſpel.
Further whereas you ſeem to aſſume that ſeing the covenant was made to Abraham & his infants, it is therfor made to vsus & our infants. I deny that ever the covenant Spiritual was made that is conferred to al Abrahams infants according to the Flesh: neyther therfor is it made that is conferred to al our infants: this you should prove, but it is vndone: I confeſſe the promiſe was offered to all Abrahams carnall ſeed vnderunder that carnal covenant of the Old Teſtament, & ſo it is offered now to all our carnal children by the preaching of the goſpel in the new Teſtament: but as the Spiritual covenant was only exhibited to the Faithful, the true ſeed of Abraham, ſo is it now only exhibited to the Faithful which are the only true ſeed of Abraham, who is the Father of vsus al, & wee al his children, & juſtified by actual Faith as he was: in reſpect whereof infants wanting actual Fayth cannot bee truely ſaid the Children of Abraham but are that they are in ſecreat to the Lord whatſoever they are.
Thus much for the Scriptures by you alledged in your firſt argument: From that which I have anſwered I reaſon againſt pedobaptiſtry thus.
1. As it was with Abraham the Father of the Faithful, ſo muſt it be with the Children of Abraham, Rom. 4.11
But Abraham the Father of the Faithful firſt beleeved actually, & being ſealed with the Spirit of promiſe, afterward receaved the ſigne of circumciſion.
Ergo: The Children of Abraham the beleeving Gentils, muſt firſt beleeve actually, & be ſealed with the Spirit of promiſe, & then receave the baptiſme of water.
2. As in the Old Teſtament, the carnal children were carnally circumciſed & ſo admitted into that Church of the Old Teſtament: So in the New Teſtament the ſpiritual children muſt be Spiritually circumciſed, that is in hart, & then be admitted by baptiſme into the Church of the New Teſtament.
But the firſt was ſignified by type:
Ergo the ſecond is verified in the truth.
3. As in the Old Teſtament carnal infants were carnally begotten & borne by the mortal ſeed of generation by their carnal parents, & then were carnally circumciſed, & receaved into the carnal covenant. So in the new Teſtament Spiritual infāts new borne babes in Chriſt, muſt be Spiritually begotten & borne by the immortal ſeed of regeneration, by the Spiritual parents, & then being Spiritually circumciſed they shal by baptiſme with water be receaved into the New Teſtame
But the firſt was ſignified by type:
Ergo the ſecond is verified in the truth.
4. If the carnal infants in the Old Teſtament were circumciſed, then the carnal infants in the New Teſtament muſt not be baptized: bicauſe that as circumciſion is abolished which was the ſigne or ſeale, ſo the infant is abolished which is the ſubject of that ſigne or ſeale, & a proportionable infant introduced: which is one regenerate by the Spirit & the word.
But the carnal infants in the old Teſtament were circumciſed.
Ergo the carnal infants are not now in the New Teſtament to be baptiſed.
5. As in the Old Teſtament when the male appeared the 8. day, ther was a painful circumciſing & mortifying of the ſuperfluous forskinne when the party was receaved into the covenant actually: So in the new Teſtament when the Lord Ieſ. Ch. (typed by the male) appeareth: & when ther is a painful circumciſing & mortifying of the ſuperfluous forskinne of the hart, the party ſo qualified shalbe by baptiſme receaved into the new Teſtament actually.
But the firſt was ſignified by type:
Ergo the ſecond is verified in truth.
And this shal ſuffice for answer to your firſt argument.
Mr. Rich. Clifton.
Col. 2.11.12.
If circumciſion belonged to Faithful Abraham & his ſeed, yea to ſuch as were but infants, then doth baptiſme alſo appertayne to al beleevers & to their feede being infants.
But the firſt is …ue, Gen. 17.10. Ergo the ſecond.
The conſequent wil …llow, ſeing baptisme cometh in place of circumciſion ſea… ling vp vntounto vsus & … ou… ſeed the ſame promiſes that circumciſion did to Abraham & to his ſeede, Coll. 2.11.12. & that in as large & ample manner (if not more ample) then to the Iſraelits, for of them only were the males circumciſed, but by baptisme are both males & females ſealed. And this muſt follow neceſſarily, or els the covenant by the coming of Ie. Chr. should be more reſtrayned, …hen it was vnderunder the law, who came to ratify & confirme that wholly, as the Apoſtle ſaith, 2. Cor. 1. 20. The promiſes of God are in him, yea & Amen, &c. For God gave it with the ſeale thereof, to Abraham & his infants. & if Chriſt should give it vntounto vsus onelyonly & not to our infants, this were to leſſen & infringe the covenant, & not to con… all, but to take away part of that which God before had given.