A Christian Instruction Containing the Law and the Gospel, Exposition 1 · Dialogue 22
Of the Baptiſme of little children, and of brotherly confeſſion and Reconciliation. The .xxij. Dialogue.
If litle children should be shutte out from Baptiſme bicauſe they be not yet inſtructed, and of the difference that is betvvene Baptiſme and the Supper in that point.
MATHEVV.
I Am ſufficiently reſolued concerning all that whiche thou haſt ſayd touchyng the diſcipline of the Church: there wā teth now but one point whiche yet doth concerne the doctrine.
P.
Which is that point?
M.
Whether we ought to receiue to the Communion of the Sacramentes, none but ſuch as are already ſo inſtructed in the Chriſtian doctrine, that they hauehave ſufficiente vnderſtandyng of the things ſignified by the Sacramēts, & are able to yelde good reaſon of their faith: it ſéemeth to me yt a man may gather of thy woords that not only they oughte not to receyue litle children to the Supper, but alſo they ought not to baptiſe them, vntill the time they come to the age in the whiche they may yelde reaſon of their faith, and vnderſtand what their baptiſme doth ſignifie.
P.
Thou haſt here to note, that there is difference betwene receyuing of children to baptiſme, and receyuing of them to the Supper.
Mat.
What difference fyndeſt thou in it?
P.
In that that Saincte Paule doth require of thoſe which wolde communicate at the Supper, that they ſhoulde proue them ſelues, to knowe whether they be méete or no, and that they be diſpoſed to receyue the ſame, accordingly as thys holye Sacramente doth require, whiche thing is not ſo required in Baptiſme.
Math.
What wilte thou conclude thereby?
Peter.
That if it muſt be that eueryevery man proue himſelfe before he go to the Supper, it followeth then that they are not yet capable of that proofe whiche are not ſo farre foorthe inſtructed, as they may proue and examine themſelues, as is méete.
Of the principall foundation of the Baptiſme of litle children, and of the vertue of the aliance vvhervppon it is grounded.
M.
I Vnderſtand by that which thou haſt heretofore ſaide, that none can well proue and examine himſelfe, to communicate worthily at the ſupper, except that firſt he vnderſtand what miſteries and ſecretes this Sacramente conteyneth, and for what cauſe it was ordeyned. But forſomuch as Baptiſme is alſo a ſeale of the doctrine, the which it doth confirme, is it not therefore alſo néedefull that he which ſhuld be baptiſed, be firſt inſtructed in the doctrine whereof it is a Sacrament, and that he may yeld reaſon of it?
P.
If the perſon be of that age, that it be capable of the doctrine, that whiche thou ſaiſt is required. But there is other conſideration in the perſon of litle children, borne of faithfull parents, which are alredy receiued into ye Church.
M.
But bycauſe theſe children are no more capable of the promiſe made in baptiſme, than the children of infidells, what reaſon is there rather to baptiſe the one than the others.
P.
If the children of the faithfull were no more capable, than thoſe of the infidells, there were reaſon in that which thou ſaiſt.
M.
I ſée not wherein the one ſorte are more capable thā the others, vnleſſe thou ſhew it me more plainly.
P.
Thou muſt vnderſtād that ye promiſe which God hath made in Baptiſme,This ſaying is of great quantitie. conteyneth the promiſe of the aliance, ye which God hath made with his people, in the which he comprehēdeth not only the faithfull whiche thorough faith are admitted into this aliance, but alſo their childrē and the children of their children.
M.
Wilt thou then ſay, that the baptiſme of children which hauehave faithfull parēts, is founded vponupon that aliance, and vponupon the faith of their parents?
P.
Seing that the promis is made, not onelyonly to the faithful parents, but alſo to their childrē, the Parentes hauehave iuſt occaſion to preſent their children to Baptiſme, to the end they may hauehave thereby confirmation of the promiſe whiche is made as well to their childrē as to themſelues, to ye end that both they & their children may be the more aſſured and comforted.
M.
Thys Baptiſme ſerueth then better for them than for their children, forſomuche as the children knowe not yet what it is.
P.
It ſerueth the one and the others. For albeit the children be not able as yet to vnderſtande what Baptiſme is, bycauſe of their age, yet are they capable (notwithſtanding) already thorough the good pleaſure of God, of the aliance wherof it is a Sacramente, and on the other ſide beſides that whiche God worketh by hys holy Spirite, as it pleaſeth him, as well in litle children as in the greate, there is alſo prayer made in Baptiſme for the litle children founded vppon the ſame aliance, whiche is not vayne, but bringeth foorth his frute in his time.
If it be lavvfull to Baptiſe the children of infidels, and what conditions are required in them vvhichwhich do preſent them.
M.
SEing then that Baptiſme of children is founded vppon that aliance, it is not lawfull to baptiſe a childe, if he be not borne of faithfull Parentes.
Pet.
Thou haſt herein to conſider, that there muſt be héede taken not only to the Parentes of the children: but alſo to thoſe which preſente them to Baptiſme. For albeit that a childe be borne of faithfull Parentes, yet ſhoulde it not be lawfull to receyue hym to Baptiſme, if he were not preſented by faythfull men, whyche moughte be bound for them, vntounto that wherevnto Baptiſme bindeth the faithfull, and that they ſhoulde be ſufficiente to accompliſh the promiſe whereby they binde themſelues to the Churche concerning the children.
M.
And if that faithfull men ſhould preſente the Children of Infidells, and that they ſhould binde them ſelues for them, taking vppon them to inſtruct them in the Chriſtian religion, as if they themſelues were their very Parents, ſhoulde it be lawfull to baptiſe ſuch children?
P.
I wold make no difficultie therein, prouided that the Parents did agre therevnto, chiefly for two cauſes.
M.
Tell me the firſt.
P.
It is that forſomuch as there is faithfull ſuretie, the miniſter who is to adminiſter the Baptiſme, hath alredy a good foundatiō. For ſuch ſuretie is in place of the Parentes, prouided that they do not miſlike of it, but hauehave giuen thē charge to do what they do.
M.
Which is the other reaſon?
P.
It is that when God made the aliance with his people, he did not only promiſe to ſhew fauour and merciemercy to the parents and children,Exod. 20. a. Deut. 5. a. euen to the ſeconde and thirde generation, but euen to a thouſand generations. Wherefore, albeit that the néereſt parents of the childe were infidels, yet notwithſtanding their infidelitie may not ſhut their childe from his righte, that he may hauehave in the aliance of God, by the meane of his auncient fathers and predeceſſors.
M.
But ſeing it is ſo, according to the true diſcipline of the church, none may thē receiue a man to preſente a childe to Baptiſme, if that he himſelfe be not receiued into the companie of the faithfull, and be not ſufficient to be pledge for the childe which he preſenteth, & to fulfill the promiſe whiche he maketh for him.
P.
It ſhuld be to mock God and his Church, who ſo ſhould do otherwiſe. For mē hauehave not accuſtomed in mater of much leſſe importāce to receiue a pledge, if he be not of ſuch qualitie as is required.
M.
That is an ordinarie mater.
P.
What reaſon ſhuld there be thē to receiue in mater of ſo great importāce, any other pledge thā ſuch an one as wer méet, in ye which mater ther is a very ſolemne obligation, & as it were a ſolemne oth before god & his Church?
M.
Is there ye like reaſon for thoſe which be excōmunicate, as there is for thoſe which are as yet holden for infidells, or at the leaſt hauehave made no profeſſiō of the chriſtiā doctrine?
P.
Yes vntill that they be recōciled to the church and receiued into the ſame in ſuch ſort as we hauehave heretofore ſaide, and as it is behouefull to be done in ſuche a caſe.
M.
I woulde aſke thée alſo for what cauſe children are not to be as well admitted to the ſupper as to Baptiſme, by meanes of the aliance made with their parentes, in the whiche they are comprehended? but I knowe that thou wilte aunſwere me in ſuch ſorte as thou haſt hertofore done, cō cerning the proof which is more ſpecially required in the ſupper than in Baptiſme.
P.
Thou ſéeſt wel that the reaſon is therin ſufficiently apparant.
M.
Now ſeing it is ſo required that eueryevery one proue himſelfe before he come to the Supper, and not that other men proue them, may not the miniſters committe it to the cōſciēce of eueryevery one which preſent themſelues to them, to receiue this ſacramente without making any other profe or inquiſition?
P.
Albeit that it be required that eueryevery one particularly do proue himſelfe, yet notwithſtanding, that particular examination, doth not let the examination and the proofe, whiche the miniſters and paſtors oughte to make of their flocks, to knowe not only which be ſhéepe and which not: but alſo what is the condition and eſtate of eueryevery one of their ſhéepe. For if they know them not, what accoumpt ſhal they yeld?
M.
That is a good apparāt reaſon.
P.
On the other parte if there be doggs and ſwine which will thorough their raſhnes put forth themſelues, to the greate contempt of God and of his church, to thruſt in their poluted and filthy ſnoutes vppon the lords table, to infect it with the ſame, ſhall the miniſter be without blame if he permitte it, and do not at the leaſt his endeuoure to ſhut out ſuche doggs & ſwyne frō the table of the Lorde?
M.
There may be alſo many which although they do not deſerue to be accoumpted dogs & ſwyne, but only for poore ignorāt and ſéely ones, whiche mought notwithſtanding go and thruſt in with the reſt, either of cuſtome, or elſe thinking to do well, and yet ſhould go to their owne condemnatiō.
P.
I wold alſo adde herevnto this point, and in ſuch a caſe the miniſters ſhuld not be without blame of the faulte whiche thoſe ſhoulde committe, and of the perdition of them, if that they had not firſte done their indeuoure towardes them, accordingly as they are bound.
Of confeſsiō & of brotherly recōciliatiō.
M.
I Would gladly vnderſtande of thée, if that after that a man hauehave proued himſelfe in ſuch ſorte as thou haſt alredy declared, he hauehave no néede to cōfeſſe himſelfe yet to ſome miniſter of the Church.
P.
If he be confeſſed to God as he ought, and be reconciled to ſuch as he may hauehave offendid, and with whome he may be at ſtrife and enmitie, he néedeth none other confeſſion.
M.
The proofe whereof thou haſt ſpoken, doth it conteyne all that?
P.
Thou maiſt iudge by that whiche thou haſt heard, for the true repentaunce, and faith and charitie cannot be without true confeſſion and reconciliation towardes God and our neyghboure.