Against the Errors of the Anabaptists, Article 1
¶ The fyrſte Article of Baptiſme.
BAptiſme ought to be geuē vntounto ſuch as be taught vntounto penaunce, and do beleue that theyr ſynnes be taken awaye by Ieſus Chriſte, and wyll walke in hys reſurrection. Therefore it ought to be miniſtred vntounto ſuch as aſke for it theym ſelues, and not vntounto Infantes, as hitherto hathe bene vſed in the Popes kyngedome.
☞ The confutacion.
¶ That is theyr ſayinge. But fyrſte I Aunſwere, that the Baptiſinge of yong chyldren is not a thynge newlye brought vp, neyther a thynge whyche toke hys begynnyng in the Papaſie. For I ſay that it hath bene a holy ordinaunce kepte alwayes in the Chriſtian churche. And that thys is true, there is no doctour ſo auncient, whyche doeth not confeſſe, that it hathe bene alwayes vſed frō the tyme of the Apoſtles. I thought it good to ſaye thys much by the waye, and for none other cauſe, but to infourme the ſimple, that it is an impudent ſclaunder of theſe phantaſticall men, whiche woulde make men beleue that this auncient obſeruation is a ſuperſtion newlye forged: and that is come from the pope: wher as in dede the whole church vſed it before there was any Pope, or that anye man hearde ſpeake of the pope. Beſides this I wyll not that the auntientie thereof ſhal helpe vsus any thynge to the probation therof excepte it be tounde grounded in the worde of God. I know that as the cuſtome of men geueth not authoritie vntounto the ſacramentes: euen ſo to vſe thē well, we ought not to take our rule accordyng to the ſame. Let vsus come then vntounto the true rule of God whyche we hauehave ſpokē of: that is to ſay, vntounto his worde whych onelyonly here ought to take place. Their intente is, that baptiſme ſhoulde not be communicate but to hym that aſketh it, makyng profeſſion of fayeth and repentaunce. And therfore the baptiſme of little chyldren is an inuention of man againſte the word of god.
To proue thys, they aledge the place oute of S. Mathewe, where oure ſauiour Ieſus Chriſte ſayeth vntounto hys Apoſtles. Go, and teache all people, baptiſynge thē in the name of the father, & of the ſonne, and of the holye goſt: vntounto whiche, they do adde this ſentence out of the .xvi. chap. of. S. Marke. He that ſhal beleue and ſhall be baptiſed, ſhall be ſaued. Thys is, as they thynke, an inuincible fundation. To thys I anſwere, that in theſe places there is nothynge ſpoken of Baptiſme, but inſidentlye. For it is put there as an acceſſarie of the preaching of the Goſpel. Our lord Ieſus ſent his Apoſtles to preach and inſtruct the world, & added baptiſme for a cōfirmatiō of their doctrine. Therefore is it to be noted, that for thys cauſe ye doctrine ought to go before this ſacrament, which is added vntounto it, as the ſeale thereof. In thys thing we agre. But you muſte know howe.
And this thinge is it whiche abuſeth theſe pore phantaſticals, that they do not cōſider the men. For whē there is a mā which is an eſtraūger frō the chriſtē church: as a Turke, a Iewe, or any other heythē mā: for to make hym a chriſtian, it is wythoute queſtion that we ought not to begynne wyth hym fyrſt by baptiſme, but before he be baptiſed, he muſte be inſtructed. And ſuch was the vſage of the aunciēt church. For they which were cōuerted vntounto Chriſt, had for a certain time, their predication apart, whiche was called Catechiſme. And afterward, hauing teſtimony of their faith & repētaunce, they were baptiſed. Reaſon would it thus. For ſeing that mā is not onelye introduced by baptiſme into the cōmunion of the churche, but alſo hath there his atteſtation ſealed, that god doth knowledge him for one of his children: there is no doubte but that the doctrine ought to go before: by which the man ought to be taught to conuert him felfe to god with faith & repentaūce. We ſe yt god did ſo wt Abrahā when he was circumciſed. For before he dyd inſtitute that ſigne for h…m, he receyued him into his couenaunt, & inſtructed him in his word.
And we muſte alſo note this, that when a man is receyued of god into the company of the fayethful: the promiſe of ſaluatiō which is made to hym: is not onelyonly for hys perſon, but alſo for hys chyldren. For it is ſaied vntounto hym. I am thy God, and the God of thy chyldren after the. So nowe a man whyche from hys infancy, was not receiued into the couenaunte of God, is as a ſtraunger frome the church, vntounto ſuch tyme as by the doctrine of ſaluation he be broughte vntounto fayeth and repentaunce. But than hys ſeede is made by and by of the howſhoulde of the church. And for thys cauſe are the little children of faythful men, baptiſed in the vertue of thys conuenaunte which is made wyth their fathers in their name and to their profite. Here you ſe wher the Anabaptiſtes are diſceyued. That the doctrine ought to procede the ſacrament, we do not reſiſte. But the hole matter is as we hauehave ſayed, to conſider how, and by what men. For whan the queſtion is, of a man in age to be baptiſed, which was before no chriſtiā: before he be chriſtened, he muſt be taught thoſe thynges whyche be figured by baptiſme. But as touchyng hys chyldrē, they ſhalbe baptiſed vponupon the doctrine whyche he hath receyued: whyche doeth contayne that God ſhalbe a ſauioure not onelyonly of his perſon but alſo of hys children. To make it ſomewhat playne to the vnderſtandynge: whan a man whyche was a ſtraunger to the companye of the fayethfull, is conuerted vntounto God, the doctrine vponupon whyche he is baptiſed is ſette forth vntounto hym: and therefore it is neceſſarye that he vnderſtand it, and comprehende it, before he be receyued vntounto the ſacramente. The doctrine vponupon whyche the yonge children of chriſten men be bapiiſed is not ſetforth to them, but to their parentes, and to the whole churche: and therfore it is not requiſite that they vnderſtande it, before they do receyue the ſygne.
☞ Therefore whan men make thys argumente: oure Lorde comaunded hys Apoſtles to preach before they baptiſed: and hath ſayd, yt he which ſhal beleue & ſhalbe baptiſed, ſhal be ſaued: and therefore it foloweth: that none ought to be admited to the ſacrament of baptiſme, but he that all redie beleueth. This is a noughtie concluſion. For it is verye notable, that oure Lorde in thoſe places ſpeketh not, but of them whiche are of age mete to be taughte, and whiche were not before of the chriſten churche. If we take not hede vntounto ſuche circūſtaunces; we ſhal confounde many places in ſcriptures, and ſhall be confuſed when we do expound them. It is ſayed that he whyche dothe not laboure, ſhall not eate, and yet there is no man ſo cruell as to condemne lyttle infantes to dye for hunger. For euerye man ſeeth clearlye, that the Apoſtles putte not them in this order, but ſpeake onelyonly of ſuche as be ſtronge, and be able. Seynge then, that oure Lorde in theſe places, doeth make ſpeciall mention of thoſe which are apte to be taughte, and whyche were not before of hys diſciples, it is a deprauation, and peruertynge of ſcripture, to applye theſe places vntounto the yonge chyldren of chriſtian mē which, hauehave not ye capaciti to vnderſtād, and be already cōprehended within the couenaunt of god, made vntounto theyr fathers, that they ſhould be of the houſhold of the church.
Theſe phantaſticall men, aledge yet further for them, the vſe and practiſe of the Apoſtles. It is written in the ſecōd of the Actes, that the foure thouſand men of Hieruſalem, after that they had heard ſaint Peter preach beyng touched in theyr hertes, dyd axe counſell what they oughte to do: and that ſaynte Peter anſwered them: repēt you, and beleue the Goſpell. Furthermore, when the Eunuchus required to be baptiſed. Phyllype anſwered hym, that he myght be baptiſed if ſo be that he beleued wyth hys whole herte. And out of thys they conclude that the Apoſtles required that men ſhoulde hauehave fayeth and repentaunce, before they were baptiſed. I graunte it to be true of ſuche men whyche muſte be receyued a newe into the communiō of the Chriſtian churche: but touchyng thoſe chyldren whiche are of the church before they iſſue out of theyr mother bealies, I ſay there is an other reaſon. For theyr fathers & auncetoures receyued the promiſe, vponupon whyche their Baptiſme is founded. It was therefore neceſſarie, that the inhabitaūtes of Hieruſalem, which were out of the chriſtian church, and whych conſented vntounto the death of oure Lorde, ſhoulde hauehave true repentaunce, before they ſhoulde hauehave teſtimonie thorow baptiſme, that the Lorde Ieſus did accept them into the numbre of hys faithfull. It was neceſſarie that the Eunuchus ſhould come vntounto the flocke of Chriſte by true fayeth, before he ſhoulde receyue the ſygne therof. But ſeynge thys promiſe is made vntounto all fayethful mē: I am the God of thy ofſprynge: the children whyche deſcende of them▪ hauehave an other priueledge: whyche is, that God doeth knoweledge theym for hys, for their fathers ſakes. And leſte it ſhoulde appere, that I do fayne this as a dreame, out of myne owne heade: you maye ſee that God hath ſhowed the enſample in Iſaac. It is true as we hauehave ſayd that Abraham was inſtructed in ye doctrine, of fayth and of repentaunce, before he receiued the ſygne of Circumſicion. But after that God had receiued hym into hys church, he ordeyned that hys ofſprynge ſhoulde bee partakers of that benefit. And ſo Iſaac and all his other ſucceſſours were Circumciſed in their infancie. So nowe we hauehave God for oure authoure of this difference: vppon the whiche dependeth all the difficultie of thys queſtion.
☞ But becauſe they wyll not admyt thys ſimilitude whyche we brynge, betwene Circumſicion and Baptyſme, it ſhalbe expedient to ſhowe, before we go anye further, that it is one thyng. When we ſpeake of a Sacrament, we muſt conſider that the whole ſubſtaunce and propertie, oughte to be vnderſtande of the doctrine, whereof the Sacrament is a confirmation. Let vsus then marke this, that the doctryne is as the principall: and the Sacrament is as acceſſarie. Nowe let vsus make compariſon of Baptyſme with Circumſicion. ☞ Baptiſme importeth pernaunce, or renewynge of lyfe: wyth promeſſe of the forgeuenes of our ſynnes.
Cyrcumſicion doth importe aſmuche and neyther more nor leſſe. That thys is trewe, towching repentaunce, it is euydēt as wel in the bokes of Moyſes as in the Prophetes, wher it is ſpoken of the circumciſion of oure hertes. For that is that thynge, whiche the newe teſtamente calleth mortification of the olde man. In ſumma, ſpirituall circumciſion is as muche to ſaye as, repentaunce. And for the ſeconde parte, whyche is the promes of forgeuenes of ſynnes, we canne hauehave no clearer probacion than thys ſentence of. S. Paulle, where he ſayeth, that circumciſion was geuen to Abraham for a confirmacion, of the ryghtwyſnes, which he frely obtayned of God, thorowe fayeth. If nowe, men make thys argumente: that it is agaynſte reaſon, that lyttel children, whiche hauehave neyther fayth nor repentaunce, ſhould be baptiſed, for as muche as baptyme is a ſacrament of regeneration and ſpiritual waſhinge whyche we hauehave in Ieſus Chriſte: I anſwere that the lyke maye be ſayde of circumciſion. And yet God commaunded that the younge infantes ſhoulde be circumciſed. And therefore it is as muche as to reaſon agaynſte God: whan we ſaye that it is agaynſte reaſon, that a ſacramente whyche is a teſtimony of repentaunce, and ſaluacion, ſhoulde be communicate vntounto younge children. What ſhall we ſaye then? Truelye, if we counte that good, which God hath done: we hauehave a leſſon, that it is not nedfull that the veritye whyche is ſignified by the ſacramente, ſhoulde alwayes precede, but that it ſuffiſeth otherwhyle, that it folow, at the leſte in parte: for the renouacion of lyfe, was well ſignified by circumciſion: and ſo was lykewiſe the iuſtice whyche we obtaine by fayeth. Neyther repentaunce nor fayeth, was in the yong infantes: and yet were they not for fault therof, excluded from circumciſion, whyche is the ſigne of the ſame. Nowe you ſe then, that the ſygne goth before the veritie of that ſygne. And if that thys were ſometyme lawfull, and conformable to reaſon, howe commeth it nowe to paſſe that it ſhoulde be repugnaunte vntounto the ſame. But here maye it be replied, that it is not inough to alledge that ſuche a thynge was done, excepte we can ſhewe that we oughte ſo to do nowe. I graunte that true: neyther would I that the baptiſme of little chyldren ſhould be receyued as good, excepte I canne proue that Goddes wyll is that ſo it ſhoulde be, but in the meane while let vsus holde faſte this thing whyche I hauehave alreadye proued: whyche is, that it is as much, as to reaſon agaynſt god, when we wyll alwayes hauehave, that the veriritie ſhould precede the ſigne. Touching the reſt, we muſt proue that it is according with the worde of God, that we do baptiſe lyttle chyldren, whyche thynge ſhall be eaſye to all mens vnderſtandynge, wythoute longe proceſſe to declare the ſame: if we do knowe the grace and mercy whyche oure Lorde Ieſus hath done vntounto vsus at hys commynge. Afore that, God promiſed vntounto the Iewes that the woulde be the God of their chyldren: and in wytnes therof he ſealed them wyth the Sacrament of hys couenaunt. Nowe as ſayeth ſaynt Paul, the Lorde Ieſus is come, for to ratifie hys promiſes made vntounto the Iewes, and to ſhedde furthe into all the worlde the mercye of God. Yea, as it is euident in another texte, he hath broken downe the walle whych ſtode betwene bothe, to ſeperate the one from the other: and this hath he doone, that there ſhoulde bee no more difference betwene them: but that we al together, ſhoulde hauehave one maner of priuiledge, to be the chyldren of God. Wherefore, whoſoeuer wyll make the grace of God leſſe towardes vsus & our chyldren, than it was towardes the people of the Iewes, doth great iniury vntounto our ſauiour Ieſus Chriſt, and blaſphemeth him. But ſome wyl ſay, yt the grace of God is not made leſſe towardes vsus, in that our chyldren are not receyued to Baptiſme: ſo that we denye not, that God hath ſhewed vntounto them lyke mercy, as vntounto the chyldren of ye Iewes I anſwer, yeſſe. For we muſt eſteme ye grace of God, pryncipally by the declaratiō which he hath made vntounto vsus, aſwell by hys worde as by his ſacramentes. Seynge nowe, that Baptiſme at this daye, is ordayned to ſeale in our bodies the promes of ſaluation: as of olde tyme Circumſicion was vntounto the people of the Iewes: we ſhoulde take from the Chriſtiās a ſynguler conſolation, if we take from their chyldren that confirmation, the whych the faythful hauehave alwayes had: that is, a viſible ſygne, by whych our Lord declareth vntounto theym, that he accepteth their chyldren into the communion of his Church. ¶ I knowe the cauillation which the Anabaptiſtes make in this place, takyng ye name of chyldren allegoricallie, to ſignifie theym which are childrē in maliſſe, and not in age. And therfore do mocke vsus, bicauſe we are ſo ſymple to vnderſtande this after the lettre. But what ſubtiltie is this I praye you, to ouerwhelme thoſe playne and cleare promiſes: where it is ſaide, that God ſheddeth out hys mercy vponupon the ſeede of the faythful after their death? And on the other ſyde, what better and more certayne expoſition of thys thynge can we hauehave, than the holy gooſt? the whych by his apoſtles hath interpreted that which he had ſhowed before by his prophetes. Nowe ſaynt Peter dooth teſtifye vntounto the Iewes, that they are chyldren of the promiſſes: that is to ſaye, heyres: foraſmuche as they become of Abrahams ſtocke. And ſaynt Paul, though of a deliberat purpoſe he fighteth agaynſt the foolyſhe preſumption of the Iewes, whych they had in their carnall parentage: yet dooth he not denye, but that the ſtocke of Abraham is ſpecially ſanctified, bycauſe and throughe the vertue of the couenaunt whyche GOD had made wyth hym. It is verie trewe, that whan the chyldren of the faythfull, ſhall come vntounto the age of diſcretion, they maye alienate them ſelues from GOD, and adinchillate the vertue of Baptiſme. Yet maye we not therefore ſaye, that our Lorde hath not choſen theym, and ſeperated theym from other, for to preſent vntounto them hys ſaluation.
Otherwiſe it ſhoulde be in vayne, that ſaint Paule ſayeth. That a chylde hauynge father or mother fayethfull is ſanctified whyche ſhould be vncleane, if he were begotten and diſcended of infidels. Seynge nowe that the holye goſte, authore and fountayne of all ſanctification, doth teſtifie that the child…en of chriſten mē are holy, may we exclude them from ſo great a benefite? Now if in them be the verity of baptiſme, howe can we depryue them of the ſygne, whyche is leſſe & inferiour.
But they reply, that the cuſtome and practyſe of the Apoſtles is contrarie. For it is ſayed that Paule and Silas preached the worde of the Lorde, vntounto the gealer, or keper of the pryſon, and to hys houſholde, before that they baptyſed them. I hauehave already geuen ſolution vntounto this, whē I ſhewed howe that to a man whyche is a ſtraunger frome the church, the doctrine ought to precede the ſacrament: but after that God hath receiued hym into the communion of hys fayethfull the promiſe of lyfe is made vntounto hym as wel for hys chyldren, as for hym ſelfe.
But they thynke, in the .xix. of the Actes, to fynde in theyr fauoure a more expreſſe ſcripture: where it is ſayd, that. S. Paule, hauing founde certayne diſciples, whyche had not yet receyued the holye Gooſte, dyd Baptiſe them anewe. Nowe is it very certayne that ſaint Luke, in that place, ſpeaketh of the viſible graces of the holye Gooſte. For other wyſe: that whych he ſayth could not ſtand togither: that is, that theſe of whome he ſpake, whyche were Iewes, dyd anſwere that they knewe not whether the holy Goſte were geuen. Nowe they could not be ignoraunt that God doeth ſanctifie hys ſeruauntes by hys ſpirite: ſeynge that ther is ſo often made mē tion therof in the prophetes. But they knew not whether theſe graces wherof. S. Paule ſpake, were geuen vntounto the chriſtian church. Nowe ſeynge they be called diſciples, they are not ſo ignoraunte, that they ſhoulde not at all knowe God and Ieſus Chriſte: as it were a ſimple chriſtian of the commune people: but they lacked thys thynge, that they had not receyued the viſible graces, whyche God then ſhedde forth vponupon his ſeruauntes.
Theſe ſame were conferred vntounto theym by the impoſition of ſaynte Paules handes. For it is no newe thynge, that the name of baptiſme ſhoulde be taken in ſuche ſignificacion: as we hauehave an example, where it is ſayed, that the Apoſtles called to remēbraūce the wordes of our Sauioure, that Iohn dyd baptyſe in water: but that he, would baptyſe wyth the ſpirit. It is alſo an accuſtomed vſe of the ſcripture, to expound one word or ſentence by an other. It is ſayed then that ſaint Paul did baptiſe thē in the name of Chriſt, and then to expound what is ment therby, it is added: that he put his hands on them▪ and that the holy Goſte diſcended on them. It is thē but one only thing expreſſed tws waies, accordynge vntounto the vſe of the ſcripture, as w… …e ſayed.
Notwythſtandinge let vsus graunt them their aſkynge to ſe what they wyll or can inferre vponupon it. Truelye they can ſaye none other thynge, but that ſaynct Paule baptiſed theſe diſciples, becauſe of their ignoraunce. Nowe if baptime ought to be reiterat for this cauſe, whye war not the Apoſtles rebaptiſed which three yeres after their baptyme, had ſo many errours, and folyſhe opinions, as to thyncke that the kyngedome of Ieſus Chriſte was earthlye, and vnderſtode nothynge touchyng his death and paſſion, and manye other ſuch lyke? Truely ſuche rudnes woulde well hauehave required a ſeconde baptyme, if an ignorante mā ought to be rebaptyſed. And as touchyng vsus, we had nede alwayes to hauehave a lake or riuer at our backes, if it ſhould be nedeful for vsus to be rebaptiſed as often as oure lord doth pourge vsus of any errour that was in vsus. On the other ſyde, it is ſayed, that Sainct Paule dyd baptiſe thoſe men, of whome we nowe ſpeake, before he layed hys handes on them Whiche were a verye ſhreude order, if that thynge be true, whiche theſe poore phantaſticalles do ſaye. For accordyng to their phantaſie, the holye Goſt oughte fyrſte to be geuen to hys diſciples: and than conſequentlye the ſigne. But what nede is it to diſpute more herof, ſeynge we hauehave the thynge ſo clere? ¶ Be ſydes this, they hauehave nothynge to ſay agaynſt the baptim of infantes, but yt their is no wher any mētion made yt the Apoſtles did vſe it. To this I anſwere, yt no more do we rede in anye place, that they did at anye tyme myniſter the ſuper of our lorde vntounto any woman. Why than do they make greater difficultie of the one, thā of the other? They dare not ſay ye women be not met to receiue the ſupper of our lord. And yet we rede not, that at anye time, the Apoſtles dyd myniſter it vntounto women. Wher nowe, ſhall we take certitude, of this matter? That ſhal we do in conſidering the inſtitution, the nature, and ſubſtaunce of the ſacramente. For in ſo doynge, we ſhall ſe that it is as conuenient for them as for men. Nowe hauehave we ſhewed the lyke of baptyme: that is, that it is conueniente and doeth apertayne vntounto younge childrene: for as muche as our Lorde taketh them into the felouſhyp of hys churche. What do we axe more? It is ſuperfluous to inquiere of the cuſtome, wher the ryght is verye manyfeſt & cleare. I meane in thys matter: wherein onelyonly the pleaſure of God oughte to ſuffice vsus. And as touchynge this poynte, I truſte to God, yt I hauehave fullye ſatiſfyed al ſuche as wyl walke in the truth. Howe be it if anye requier a more ample declaracion, let him loke what I hauehave intreted her of, in the chriſten Inſtitution: wher al the argumentes aboueſayed are handeled more at large.