More Proofs of Infants Church Membership and Right to Baptism, Letters 1 · Section 52
SECT. LII.
R. B. 2. THe law of nature bindeth all Parents to do their beſt to ſecure Gods right, and their Childrens good, and to prevent their ſin and miſery: But to engage them betimes to God by ſuch a dedication, doth tend to ſecure Gods right, and their Childrens good, and to prevent their ſin and miſery: For they are under a double obligation, which they may be minded of betimes, and which may hold them the more ſtrongly to their duty, and diſadvantage the tempter that would draw them off from God.
Mr. T. Really Infant Baptiſm is a diſadvantage, 1. In that it is the occaſion whereby they take themſelves to be Chriſtians afore they know what Chriſtianity is, and ſo are kept in preſumption, &c. 2. They are kept from the true baptiſm, &c.
Reply. This nearly concerneth our cauſe: I once inclined to theſe thoughts my ſelf: But I am ſatisfied, 1. That Infant Covenanting and Baptiſm is no hindrance in Nature or Reaſon from perſonal ſerious Covenanting with God at age. We tell our Children and all the adult, that their Infant Covenanting by Parents, will ſerve them but till they have Reaſon and Will of their own to chooſe for themſelves: And that without as ſerious a faith and conſent of their own then as if they had never been baptized, they cannot be ſaved: What hurt then as to this doth their Infant intereſt do them?
2. Yea doubtleſs it is a great help: For, 1. To be in the way of Gods Ordinance and Benediction is much. 2. And (knowing you deny that) I add, to be conſcious of an early engagement, may do much to awe the minds of Children; yea and to cauſe them to love that Chriſt which hath received them, and that Society to which they belong.
3. If Children till Baptized have any thoughts of dying, according to you, they muſt have little hopes of mercy: And God accounteth not the ſpirit of bondage beſt, no not for Children. They cannot well be educated in the Love of God, who muſt believe that they are damned if they die, and that God hath not given them any promiſe of life.
4. Experience of many Moors (ſervants) among us and in our Plantations, (beſides ancient hiſtory) aſſureth us, that delaying Baptiſm till age tendeth to make people delay repentance, and think I am but as I was, and if I ſin longer all will be pardoned at baptiſm, and I muſt after live ſtrictlier, and therefore (as Conſtantine and many more) they will be baptized Chriſtians when there is no remedy.
5. And experience aſſureth us that it were the way to work out Chriſtianity and reſtore Infidelity in any Nation: For had not Chriſt early poſſeſſion, and were not Nations diſcipled and baptized, Chriſtians were like to be almoſt as thin as Puritans now: and the multitude being Infidels from a croſs intereſt (ſuch as diviſions cauſe) would be ready on all occaſions (as they did in Japan and Monicongo) to root them out.
I take this to be a very concerning conſideration, whether in reaſon Infant Baptiſm be like to do more good or harm. The not calling men to ſerious Covenanting at age doth unſpeakable harm: To have a few good words about Confirmation in the Liturgie, and ſuch as Doct. Hammonds writings of it, will not ſave ignorant ungodly ſouls, nor the ſouls of the Paſtors that betray them: I have ſaid my thoughts of this long ago in a Treatiſe of Confirmation.
But I muſt profeſs that it ſeemeth to me, that if Chriſt had left it to our wills, it is much liker to tend to the good of ſouls, and the propagating Chriſtianity, and the ſtrength of the Church, for to have both the obligation and comfort of our Infant Covenant and Church ſtate, and as ſerious a Covenanting alſo at age, when we paſs into the Church ſtate of the Adult, than to be without the former, and left to the expectation of adult baptiſm alone.