Baptismal Regeneration of Elect Infants Professed by the Church of England, Treatise · Chapter 6
CAP. 6. The Confeſſions of Reformed Churches.
I Doubt not but that I ſhall meet with ſome ſpirits that will deride and ſcorne all theſe teſtimonies of the Fathers, as the dreames of erring men*Nec tamen Patres aliud dicunt, quā quod nos dicimus, fieri nos in baptiſmo novos homines, & peccata nobis remitti, et ſpiritum ſanctū eſſe efficacem: omnia haec nos damus; ſed non ideo ſequitur, ſacramenta conferre gratiam ex opere operato quaſi quia ſunt efficacia organa spiritus ſancti, ideo ex via ſua & ex opere operato efficacia ſunt. Whitak. de ſacram. in genere queſt. 4. cap. 2. Et paulo poſt: ibid. Tribuunt illi (Patres nempe) multum baptiſmo, & merito quidem, remiſſionem peccatorum, gratiam, vivificationem, regenerationem, & alia huiuſmodi: & forſan aliqui nimium tribuunt: quanquam re vera nihil dicunt. quod non ſatis commode exponi poteſt. Non enim dicunt illam gratiam eſſe incluſam in aqua, aut ex opere operato couferri: ſed spiritum ſanctum eſſe in aqua & per aquam efficacem, quod ex eo Baſilij loco conſtare poteſt, quem affert bellarminus, foreign, &c. vide ibi plura, in pag. 73. 74.; and ſo will bee ready to ſay; it is not much matter what the Fathers ſpeake, foraſmuch as they ſpake and wrote a great deale more than any ſound Diuine will take vponupon him the iuſtification of, or is able to defend. Therefore it is requiſite that I now ſhew what the Churches of Chriſt, ſince the laſt happy Reformation, hauehave all conſpired to acknowledge and profeſſe in their ſeverall Publique confeſſions, printed at Geneva, concerning this point: by which it will appeare, that herein they doe, in ſubſtance, concurre with thoſe Fathers that ſome ſhallow braines pleaſe to ſet ſo light by. The iudgment of our owne Church, as it is expreſſed in the Forme of Baptiſme, the Catechiſme, and Articles of Religion, wee hauehave already ſeene at large We are therefore now to produce the Confeſſions of forraine Churches only, which here follow in order.
1 The Helvetian confeſſion, cap. 20 runs thus:aBaptizari in nomine Chriſti, eſt inſcribi, initiari, & re…ipi in faedus, at que familiam, adeo que haereditatem filiorum Dei, immo iam nuncupari nomine Dei id eſt, appell…ri filium Dei purgari item à ſordibus peccatorum, & donari varia Dei gratià, ad vitam novam & innocentem. To be baptized in the name of Chriſt, is to be inroled, initiated, and receaued into the couenant and family, and ſo into the inheritance of the ſonnes of God: yea to be euen now called by the name of God, that is, to be called a ſonne of God; to bee purged from the filth of ſinne, and to bee endowed with the manifold grace of God, vntounto a new and innocent life. And a little after:bNam intus regeneramur, purificamur & renovamur à Deo per spiri ū ſanctum &c. for we are inwardly regenerated, purified, and renewed by God through the Holy Ghost. And for a cloſe of that Chapter, they adde;cDamnamus Anabaptiſt… qui negant baptizandos eſſe infantulos recens natos à fidelibus. Nam iuxta doctrinam evang li…am, horum eſt regnum Dei, & ſunt in foedere Dei … itaq, non daretur eis ſignum foederis Dei? Cur non per ſanctum baptiſma initiarentur, qui ſunt pec…um & in Eccleſia Dei? Wee condemne the Anabaptists, who deny young infants borne of faithfull parents to be admitted vntounto baptiſme. For according to the doctrine of the Goſpell, theirs is the kingdome of God, and they are within the covenant of God: why therefore ſhould not the ſigne of the couenant of God be giuen vntounto them? Why ſhould they not bee initiated by holy baptiſme, that are Gods peculiar, and within his Church?
2 The confeſſion of Scotland. dCertò credimus per baptiſmum nos in Chriſto Ieſu niſeri, … quam omnia noſtra peccata teguntur & remittuntur participes fieri.We doe certainely beleeue that by baptiſme wee are ingraffed into Jeſus Christ, and made partakers of his righteouſneſſe whereby all our ſinnes are done away.
3 The Belgicke confeſſion. art. 34. thus ſpeakes.eSVOS igitur OMNES iuſſit Dominus in nomine Pa…ris filii, & ſpiritus ſancti pura aqua baptizari, vt ſign…ficaret ſanguinem Chriſti per ſpiritum ſanctum id…m praeſtare & efficere internè in animâ, quod aqua externè operatur in corporibus. Therefore did the Lord command all of his to be baptized with pure water, in the name of the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghoſt; that he might ſignifie that the bloud of Christ by the Holy Ghoſt doth performe inwardly in the ſoule, that which the water doth effect outwardly vponupon our bodies. And that they vnderſtand this of Infants alſo, they afterward expreſſe thēſelues, by declaring againſt the Anabaptiſts, that even infants partake of Chriſt in baptiſme, pro modulo ſuo, according to their capacity, as well as others: ſaying,fRe vera Chriſtus non minus ſanguinem ſuum effudit vt fidelium infantes, quam vt adultos ablueret: ideo que ſignum ſeu ſacramentum rei, quam Chriſtus eorum cauſa eſt operatus, illos recipere concenit. certainely Christ ſhed his bloud that hee might no leſſe waſh infants of faithfull parents, then thoſe of yeares; and therefore it is requiſite they ſhould alſo receaue the ſigne or Sacrament of that thing which Christ for their ſakes accompliſhed.
4 The confeſſion of France, which is alſo the confeſſion of Geneva, profeſſeth this,gAgnoſcimus duo tantum ſacramenta toti Eccleſiae communia, quorum prius est baptiſmus, nobis teſtificandae noſtrae adoptionis datus quoniam in eo inſerimur Chriſti corpori, vt eius ſanguine abluti, ſimul etiam ipſius ſpiritu ad vitae ſanctimoniam renovamur. Art. 35. We acknowledge only two Sacraments common to the whole Church, the former whereof is Baptiſme, given vntounto vsus to witneſſe our adoption, becauſe in it we are ingraffed into the body of Christ, that being waſhed with his bloud wee might alſo be renewed by his ſpirit vntounto holineſſe of life. Againe in the 37. Art: hCredimus, ſicut antea dictū eſt, tam in coena quam in baptiſmo. Deum nobis re ipſa (i) verè & efficaciter donare, quic quid ibi ſacramentaliter figurat; ac proinde cum ſignis conin…gimus veram poſſeſſionem ac finitionem eius rei quae ibi nobis offertur.We beleeue, as is aforeſaid, that as well in the Lords ſupper, as in baptiſme, God doth beſtow vponupon vsus in very deed; that is to ſay, truly, and effectually whatſoeuer hee therein ſacramentally doth repreſent vntounto vsus: and therefore with the ſignes we ioyne the true poſſeſſion and fruition of that thing which is therein offered to vsus. And in Art. 38 thus iDicimus itaq, elementum aquae, quantumvis eaducum; nobis nihilominus vtrè teſtificari interiorem animi noſtri ablutionem in ſanguine Ieſu Chriſti per ſancti ſpiritus efficaciam. Rom. 6.3 Epheſ. 5.26..
5 The Argentine confeſſion, cap. 17. thus determineth;kDe Baptiſmate ita que confitemur, id quod paſſim ſcriptura de illo praedicat, eo ſepeliri nos in mertem Chriſti, coagmentari in vnum corpus, Chriſtum induere, lavacrum regenerationis, peccata abluere, nos ſalvare, Rom 6 3. 1. Cor 12. Gal 3. Tit. 3. Act. 22. 1. Pet. 3. Touching Baptiſme we confeſſe that which the ſcripture every where affirmeth of it: that, thereby wee are buried into the death of Christ, knit together in one body, we put on Christ; it is the laver of Regeneration to waſh away our ſins, and to ſaue vsus, Rom. 6 3. 1. Cor. 12. Gal. 3. Tit. 3. Act. 22. 1. Pet. 3.
6 The Augustane confeſſion. art. 9.lDocet quod infantes per baptiſmum Deo commendati, recipiantur in gratiam Dei, & fiant filij Dei, ſicut Chriſtus teſtatur, Mat. 18. non eſt voluntas patris veſtri qui eſt in coelis, vt pereat vnus ex parvulis iſtis. teacheth that infants being by baptiſme commended vntounto God, are receaued into the fauour of God, and made his ſonnes as Christ teſtifieth: Math. 18. ſaying; it is not the will of your father which is in heaven that one of theſe little ones ſhould periſh.
7 The Saxon confeſſion cap. 14 thus.mRetinemus et infantium baptiſmum, quia certiſſimum eſt promiſſionem gratiae etiam ad infantes pertinere &c. nec iudicamus hunc morem tantum otioſam ceremoniam eſſe, ſed vere tunc à deo recipi & ſanctificari infantes. We retaine the baptiſme of infants alſo, becauſe it is moſt certaine that the promiſe of grace belongs even to infants &c. nor doe we iudge this a meere idle ceremony, but that then they are truly receaued by God, and ſanctified.
8 The confeſſion of Wirtemberg, cap. de Bapt. to the ſame effect:nDocemus eum qui baptizatur in nomine Patris, filii, & ſpiritus ſancti, vngi ſpirituali Chryſmate; hoc eſt fieri memb…ū Chriſti, & donari spiritu ſancto &c. We teach, that he that is baptized in the name of the Father, of the Sonne, and of the Holy Ghost is anointed with a spirituall chryſme: that is, he is made a member of Chriſt, and endowed with the Holy Ghoſt.
9 To all theſe we may adde the pious and orthodox confeſſion of the Palatine, extant in the ſame Harmony of confeſſions; oDe virtute & efficacia ſacri baptiſmi credo & confiteor, liberos noſtros, quia in hoc foedere, vt iam dictum, etiam ipſi vna includuntur, cum in articulos antiquae noſtrae & catholicae fidei baptizantur, ſicut in iis ipſis educari & inſtitui debent, etiam cruentis mortis domini noſtri Ieſu Christi, omnium que eius bonorum quae illic morte ſua acquiſivit, vnà participes fieri: id que hoc modo, quod quemadmodum externum ſigillum, ſacroſanctum ſacramentum, nempe elementarem aquam à miniſtro ve…bidivini, extrinſecus in corpore recipiunt, ita quoq, ſimul à Chriſto ipſo, effuſo illius ſanguine, in animabus ſuis, hoc eſt interne baptizantur, & per ſpiritum ſanctum de integro, ſeu in novas creaturas regenerantur.Touching the force and efficacy of holy baptiſme, I beleeue & confeſſe that our children (foraſmuch as they alſo are included together with vsus in the covenant before spoken of) when they are baptized into the Articles of the ancient and catholike faith (as in them alſo they ought to bee trained vp and instructed) are made partakers as well as we of the bloudy death of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and of all other good things which in that his death he hath procured: and that in this manner; viz: that as they receaue the outward ſeale, to wit the holy Sacrament, the elementary water from the Miniſter of the word externally in the body; ſo alſo together & at once by Chriſt they are waſhed with his bloud in their ſoules; that is to ſay, they are internally baptized, and are regenerated a new as new creatures by the Holy Ghost.
But ſome may obiect that, this laſt is not the Confeſſion of the Church of the Palatinate, but only of Frederick the third, the Palſgraue of Rhene? To which I anſwere, 1. By confeſſing it to bee true that it was indeed the Confeſſion of that religious Prince; yet ſuch as was approued of by that whole Church, as appeares by the inſerting of it among the publique Confeſſions of the Churches, nor is there any other confeſſion of that Church to be found in the Harmony of Confeſſions, but only this; by which it is euident that the whole Church of the Palatinate, conſidering how full this confeſſion was, & how exactly according with their publique catechiſme, thought it needleſſe to draw any other publique body of confeſſion, but rather to reſt in this ſo well performed to their hands. 2 I ſay that it doth fully agree to the eſtabliſhed doctrine of that Church ſet forth in their publique catechiſme. For in the 69 Quest of that Catech: this is demanded;pQua ratione in baptiſmo admoneris & confirmaris, te vnici illius, ſacrificii Chriſti participem eſſe? By what ground art thou admoniſhed and confirmed that in thy baptiſme thou art made a partaker of that one and only ſacrifice ef Christ? qQuod Chriſtus externum aquae lauacrum mandavit, addita hac promiſſione, me non minus certo ipſius ſanguine & ſpiritu a ſordibus animae: hoc eſt, ab omnibus peccatis meis lauari, quam aqua extrinſecus ablutus ſum, qua ſordes corporis expurgari ſolent.The anſwere to it is this. Becauſe Christ enioyned that outward lauer of water, with this promiſe annexed to it, that J ſhould be no leſſe certaine that J am waſhed by his bloud and spirit frō all the filth of my ſoule; that is from all ſins, thē that I am externally waſhed with water, wherby the ſtaines of the body are wont to be purged away.
To which I may further adde, that learned Pareus, in his larger explication of that catechiſme, how euer he require faith in the receiuer that will hauehave ſenſible poſſeſſion & benefit of the graces of that Sacrament; yet in his commentary vponupon the 74 Queſtion of the ſame, vndertaking to proue againſt the Anabaptiſts the lawfulneſſe of baptizing of infants, the ſecond argument which hee there vſeth is this;*Ad infantes eccleſiae pertinet beneficium remiſſionis peccatorum & regenerationis (h. e.) infantibus aeque ac adultis remiſſio peccatorum per ſanguinem Chriſti, & spiritus ſanctus fidei effector promittitur; ergo infantes Chriſtianorum debent baptizari. that remiſſion of ſinnes by the bloud of Christ, and the Holy Ghoſt the worker of faith, is promiſed to infants; as well as to thoſe of yeares, and that therefore infants ought to be baptized Againe, in his anſwere to the ſecond obiection of the Anabaptiſts by which they would proue that infants ought not to be admitted vntounto baptiſme; namely, becauſe they beleeue not. he thus ſaith;bInfantes enim credunt ſuo modo, pro modo aetatis quia habent inclinationem ad credendum. Fides ineſt inf…ntibus potentia & inclinatione, licet non actu, vt in adultis. And a little after. Habent etiam infantes ſpiritum ſanctum, & ab eo regenerantur pro modo aetatis ſuae, ſicut Ioannes baptiſta impletus fuit ſpiritu ſancto cum adhuc eſſet in vtero matris: & Ierimiae, cum nond…m produſſes ex vtero, ſanctificani te. Si infantes habent ſpiritum ſanctum, certè operatur in eis regenerationem, bonas inclinationes, novos motus, & alia quae ad ſalutem eis ſunt neceſſaria: vel certe haec omnia ipſe quaſi ſupplet, & ad baptiſmum eis ſufficit, iuxta d…ctum Petri, quis poteſt arcere ab aqua eos, qui ſpiritum ſanctum acceperunt, ſicut & nos, Act. 10. they hauehave faith, although not actuall; yet, potentiall, and by inclination; or at leaſt the holy Ghoſt himſelfe ſupplieth the roome of it, and ſo ſufficeth for their baptiſme: For he that hath receiued the holy Ghoſt ought not to be excluded from baptiſme; according to that of the Apoſtle in Act. 10.47. which that Author applies to this very purpoſe.
Thus hauehave we the Confeſſions of nine ſeuerall Churches of cheefeſt note beyond the ſeas, profeſſing and publiſhing as much as thoſe eight Fathers of old, and as our owne Church at home, touching the efficacy of Baptiſme of elect infants; or, if you will, indefinitely of all infants ſuppoſed to be truely and indeed within the election and couenant of grace.
Some, haply, will be medling here againe, and ſay that all theſe confeſſions doe not ſet ſuch a reſtraint vponupon the efficacy of baptiſme, as our preſent poſition doth, but extend it indifferently vntounto all. But to ſuch I muſt giuegive the ſame anſwere that I did before, becauſe the obiection is the ſame and becauſe alſo it is ſet vponupon the ſame ſandy foundation: viz. that the Confeſſions are indefinite, ſo as none are excluded from the grace of the ſacrament, that are partakers of the outward waſhing. The forme of expreſſion which the churches vſe is indefinite, and it is neceſſary it ſhould be ſo, becauſe they ſpeake of baptiſme conſidered in the nature of it when it is applied to thoſe within the couenant, to all which the grace of baptiſme is ordinarily giuen: yet well knowing that all are not indeed within the couenant, although borne of parents that are members of the viſible Church; they doe not ſay vniuerſally that all infants are partakers of the grace of baptiſme; but indefinitely, that infants are partakers of it. Now, although oft times an indefinite propoſition in materia neceſſaria, be equiualent to an vniuerſall: yet it is not alwaies ſo, (as, hath beene formerly ſh wed) when ſome circumſtance doth occurre that may varie the condition of the partie to whom it is applied As for example, to ſay that perſons ſo & ſo educated in their youth doe proue wiſe and able men for ſuch or ſuch an imployment, makes the propoſition to be taken as generally true, by reaſon of the ſufficiency of the meanes of their education: yet becauſe there may be, and oft is, ſome inward impediment or incapacity in ſome particulars, that propoſition is by no wiſe men beleeued to be meant as, vniuerſally true of all that are vnderunder the ſame helpes and meanes. Yea ſome propoſitions that are vniuerſally propounded, hauehave yet their limitations implied which are diſcerned by all rationall men that either heare or read them: as for inſtance; yee are all the children of God by faith in Chriſt Ieſus ſaith the Apoſtle, Gal. 3.26. yet who can be ſo charitable as to thinke that there was not ſo much as one Hypocrite in all the Church of Galatia? doth not the ſame Apoſtle ſay elſewhere, thatr2 Theſ. 3.2. all men hauehave not faith? and againe,ſRom. 9.6. they are not all Iſrael which are of Iſrael? What then? Why, this. The Apoſtle looking vponupon the powerfull meanes of begetting the Galathians vntounto God, viz the word and Sacraments; and conſidering their outward ſubmiſſion and conformity thereunto, he profeſſeth of them in the Lump, ye are all the Children of God, &c. Howbeit no man will take him otherwiſe then this; yee are all his children if yee hee indeed inwardly, what yee ſeeme outwardly to mee, that am willing thus to hope and ſpeake of you.
In like manner then, muſt the Churches be vnderſtood, if they ſhould deliuer themſelues in vniverſall termes; for aſmuch as all are not partakers of the ſpirit and bloud of Chriſt, that are partakers of the outward Laver of regeneration, as ſome of the Fathers hauehave ſoundly taught vsus, in the former chapter. Becauſe in the ſacrament, by virtue of Chriſts inſtitution, ordinarily, grace is giuen to all that are by election capable of it; and it being knowne to none who they be that are not elected, it is more apt and proper to ſpeake indefinitly, rather then reſtrictiuely, in publique Confeſſions of Churches, that ſo all may with more care and reuerence attend the Ordinance of Chriſt, and expect that in it, which how euer it be not of a certainty vniuerſally communicated to all indifferently, yet is not denied to this, or that, or any particular, preſented vntounto baptiſme, for ought any mortall man can iudge, or may take liberty to preſume of any one in particular, howeuer in the generall he may ſet it downe for a concluſion of truth, that there are ſome which goe without it.
If yet I ſhould be further preſſed, that at leaſt all the Lutherans doe expreſly and ſtifly declare themſelues to beleeue that all infants doe certainely receiue the inward grace of baptiſme, ſo as to be indeed regenerated in the very inſtant of the adminiſtration? To this I anſwere, that it is perhaps true of ſome particular men among them, that, as all men who profeſſe themſelues ſtiffe followers of ſuch or ſuch a maſter, doe vſually in tract of time and through heat of diſputation, goe further then their maſter, or then thoſe more moderate men that in former times did adde here vntounto him, as they now doe; ſo theſe (who therefore, for ſome errors which they vniuſtly father vponupon that Worthy, are termed pſeudo Lutherans) going further then euer L…ther did, may take vponupon them the defence of this error, which yet may iuſtly paſſe as a priuate fancy of their owne, and no true iſſue of his that they ſeeme ſo much to glory in; at leaſt no publique definition of any of thoſe Churches, which are at this day (through the violence of ſome particular men in them) nicknamed Lutherans Sure I am, and ſo alſo may all others be that will take the paines to pervſe their confeſſions, that no ſuch thing can be neceſſarily proued thence: but that the contrary thereunto may as probably be defended, as that which ſome would deduct from thoſe publique Inſtruments and declarations of their faith generally agreed vponupon amongſt them all. And how the reſt; to wit, the French, Genevean, Heluetian, Netherland, and Palatinate Churches*D. Fran. White makes it the conſtant tenent of all thoſe whom the quarrells of the world terme Caluiniſts, to reſtraine the efficacy of b…ptiſme only to the elect. In his anſwere to …ſh… pag. 176 touching the efficacy of bap…. of which more afterwards. are to be vnderſtood in their Confeſſions, let the moſt learned and iudicious among them declare vntounto vsus in their publique writings, which is the next thing that I am to ſhew.