The Plea for Infants and Elder People Concerning their Baptism, Part 1 · Argument 6
Argument 6.
Math. 28. 19. If Chriſt gave a commandement for the publiſhing of his covenant and adminiſtration of baptiſme the ſeal thereof to al nations: then are the beleeving Gentiles and their infants to receive the ſame. But the firſt is true, Mat. 28. 19. Ergo the latter alſo is true. Act. 13. 48. & 16. 14. 15. 32. 33.
It wil be objected againſt the Major, that it followes not, that the infants are any more bound to receive baptiſme, then they are bound whileſt they are infants to receive the word, but the word they cannot receive. Ergo. I anſwer that the cōmandement is general to al nations, and therefore as Abraham if he ſhould not have obeyed the Lord commanding him to circumciſe him ſelf, and al his familie, yea the infants, he ſhould grevouſly have rebelled againſt God: ſo whoſoever of the Gentiles ſhal not beleev and be baptiſed both himſelf and his ſeed, ſhal have no part nor portion in the inheritance of Chriſt: ſeeing he cutts himſelf and his ſeed from the covenant of God. Geneſ. 17. 4. And though infants be not capable of the preaching of the covenant (which notwithſtanding they are bound unto, as they ſhall come to yeares of diſcretion) yet are they capable of the ſeal, as before is ſhewed, and therefore by vertue of this generall commandement, Mat. 28, 19. are to be baptiſed.
M. Smyth.
The errors of this Argument I wil diſcover in order, firſt I deny that baptiſme is a ſeal of the covenant of the new Teſtament. Secondly, I deny that circumciſion was the ſeal of the everlaſting covenant that was made with Abraham in respect of Chriſt. Thirdly, Baptiſme therefore doth not ſucceed in the place of circumciſion, &c. Fourthly, I deny that although Abraham had a speciall commandement, did circumciſe his male infants, therefore Chriſtians upon this generall commandement Mat. 28. 19. ſhal baptiſe their infants. Fiftly, I ſay rather the contrarie is hence proved, &c.
R. Clyfton.
This is a ready courſe in anſwering, if it might be admitted of to denye one thing after another without ſhewing any reaſon to the contrary. As for your particulars I do here brand them with the letter E. for errors, of three of them I have ſpoken before more particularly, the fourth is now to be anſwered unto, concerning the baptiſing of infants upon the general commandement of Chriſt, Mat. 28. 19. which you deny to have warrant from that ſcripture: I prove it thus.
If there was a commandement given for the ſealing of the everlaſting covenant to Abraham and his children, then is this, Mat. 28. 10. a comandement page missing and faithfully deſcribed in the institution of baptiſme, as the perſon, condition and tyme of circumciſion. But for paedobaptiſme there is no expreſſe deſcription of the perſon, condition or tyme of their baptiſme, &c.
I anſwer to the conſequent of the Major, that our Saviour hath † reveled…. 17. 6. …14. 26. …. …. …. to his church the whole will of his father, which is conteyned in the Scriptures, not onelyonly in the writings of the Apoſtles, but alſo of the prophets, which hee hath for that end, commanded us to ſearch Ioh. 5. 39. and Peter to take heed unto, 2 Pet. 1. 19. and Paul commends to be profitable to teach, to convince, to correct, and to inſtruct in righteouſnes, &c. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 17. and therefore Gods wil muſt not ſo be included in the writings of the Apoſtles, that the prophets be excluded, but out of them both to learn what Chriſt teacheth. For as the books of the new Teſtament do plainly declare the fulfilling of all the myſteries of our redemption: ſo do the books of the old Teſtament ſpeak of ſome things more expreſly then the writings of the Apoſtles. But to come to the point. I anſwer, that it was not needful for Chriſt to deſcribe things in ſo large manner, which before had been written, and were ſtil to continue, as example, the ſealing of the covenant, the perſons yong and old that were to be ſigned, and ſuch like, what needs a new repetition hereof, when the Lord purpoſed not to diſānul them: ſo much as was to be altered, concerning the outward ſigne, Chriſt omitted not to declare. And therefore cannot be accuſed of any unfaithfulnes, if he in expreſſe words had not commanded infants to be baptiſed, ſeing under the old Teſtament they had the ſigne of the covenant.
Again, the Apoſtles writings do plainly ynough declare unto us that infants are to be baptiſed, as both from that commandement of Chriſt, Mat, 28. 19. and the practiſe of the Apoſtles in baptiſing of families, and by other reaſons hath been ſhewed.
And concerning, the tyme of baptiſing, I ſee no reaſon why you ſhould cavil about it, more then about the tyme of adminiſtring the Lords Supper, which Chriſt hath not ſo preciſely ſet down neither the day, nor tyme of the day for the adminiſtring thereof, as Moſes did of the paſſeover.
And the ſcriptures which you cite do ſhew that bap▪ is to be adminiſtred when men enter into Gods covenant, and children entring in at the ſame tyme with their parents, are to be baptiſed at the ſame tyme with them, as Iſmael and al Abrahams howſe were circumciſed * the ſame day with Abraham.Deu. 17. …. And thus much for anſwer to the conſequent of your major, which …ſo ſerveth to anſwer your minor. But touching thoſe ſcriptures which you alledge for proof of your Minor, thus I anſwer in general to them all: that they ſpeak of ſuch as came newly to the faith of the Goſpel, to beleeve that Ieſus was the Chriſt, who were never baptiſed before. And this rule I confeſſe to be obſerved to all ſuch like as are to be received to baptiſme, that they make confeſſion of their fayth & ſinnes as they did: but they ſerve not to teach vsus to deale ſo towards their infants or the infants of beleevers that are borne within the covenant. For the condition of them that are to be admitted into the church and of them that are borne in it, is not the ſame as concerning the adminiſtration of baptiſme, no more then it was in the Iewiſh Church towching circumciſion; for the one is declared to come within the covenant by their owne profeſſion; and the other to be within it, by their being borne of beleeving parents: if you had inſtanced an example of one that was borne in the Church of the new teſtament, of parēts that were members thereof, whoſe baptiſing was differd until he was able to make confeſſiō of faith, then had you ſayd more to the purpoſe, though in ſuch an example there might hauehave bene neglect, as was in Moſes in circumciſing his ſonne.