Review of the State of Christians Infants, Title page – To the reader
Rich. BAXTER'S REVIEW OF THE STATE OF Chriſtian's Infants.
Whether they ſhould be entered in COVENANT With God by BAPTISM, and be Viſible Members of His CHVRCH, and have any Covenant-Right to Pardon and Salvation?
Or whether CHRIST, the Saviour of the World, hath ſhut all Mankind out of his Viſible Kingdom, and Covenant-Rights and Hopes, 'till they come to Age? And whether he did ſo from the beginning of the world, or after his Incarnation?
Occaſioned by the Importunity of Mr. E. Hutchinſon, (and of Mr. Danvers, and Mr. Tombes,) who called him to this REVIEW in order to his RETRACTATION.
An Impartial Reading is humbly requeſted, of thoſe Diſſenters who would not be found Deſpiſers of holy Truth, nor ſuch as judge before they hear.
London, Printed for Nevil Simons at the Princes Arms in Pauls Churchyard, 1676.
READER,
I Once more ſtew the World, that is is in the power of other men, if God permit them, to hinder us from greater ſervice to the Church, by making things far leſs in themſelves, to become accidentally at that time more neceſſary? By which kind of Impediments in Contentious times, Satan fruſtrateth the better deſires and deſigns of many of the Servants of Chriſt, who would fain be better employed; yea, and uſeth herein the ſervice of ſuch men, as in other reſpects are none of his Servants. And thus, though Scriptures be our General Rule, the Providence of God, and the great Ends of all our life, are the Determiners of the Circumstances of our Duties.
The Cauſe of this REVIEW is a Letter of one Mr. E. Hutchinſon, ſent me, very large in conſiderable Oratory, to let me know his Contempt of my laſt (and former) Book of Baptiſm, and to humble me for the great ſin of abuſing the world with ſuch frivolous writings, which ſeem to do ſomething, but prove nothing, and leave Mr. Danvers, &c. unanſwered; ſo that it is an Anſwer that he would have: And he vehemently urgeth me to Repentance and Retraction of what I have written for Infants Church-memberſhip, Covenant and Baptiſm; as did Mr. Tombes more than once before him. Should I Print his Letter without his conſent, perhaps he might take it for an injury; and if he would have it done, it's like he will do it himſelf. But becauſe it refereth to a Printed Paper of Mr. Danvers, againſt me, called his Third Reply, which I never ſaw till his Letter informed me of it, I thought that it was more than himſelf whom he importuned me to ſatisfie.
I have told him here truly, how little the meer difference about the outward Baptiſm of Infants doth abate my eſteem and love of any Godly Peaceable men: Two ſorts of Perſons called Anabaptiſts I can live in as friendly concord with, as with moſt I hold Communion with: Firſt, thoſe that deny not the Covenant-Rights, and Church-Relation of the Infants of Believers, confeſſing them to be Holy; but only think that their Baptiſm, being but the ſolemnization of their foregoing Covenant, and the publick Inveſtiture of them in their Relation, may, as the Coronation of an Infant King, be deferred till they come to ſome underſtanding; of which minde were Tertullian and Nazianzene. Secondly, thoſe that being in doubt only of the Sufficiency or Lawfulneſs of Infant-Baptiſm, do receive a ſecond or a third Adminiſtration (as ſome Marryed by Juſtices lately, were marryed again by Miniſters; and as Mr. Humphrey pleads for a ſecond Ordination, eſpecially if Hypothetically done) to ſatisfie their doubting Conſciences, and then live in peace, and orderly Communion afterwards with other Chriſtians, as knowing that in Chriſt Jeſus neither Circumciſion availeth, nor Uncircumſion, but a new Creature. I ſay none of theſe ſhall be more willing of loving Communion with others, than I ſhall be with them.
But 1. If men will deny and ſcorn our Infant-Right in the Covenant of Grace, and in Chriſt, Pardon and Salvation; and Viſible Church-Relation, and will ſo far deny the Kingdom and Grace of Chriſt, as to maintain that he excludeth all mankind from any Viſible Right, or Hope of Salvation till Adult, and hath given ſuch Right no more to Chriſtian's Children than to Heathens! And if they will make this Opinion the meaſure of their Communion, and will divide the Church, and Unchriſten, or Unchurch all that are not as unthankful and injurious to Chriſt, and to the Holy Seed as themſelves, it is not I that ſeparate from theſe men, but they from me, and all ſober Chriſtians.
And I will here add but theſe two or three Notes to the Reader; 1. If he will peruſe two ſhort Diſputations which I have lately publiſhed of ORIGINAL SIN, (the Primary and Secondary) he will ſee it fully proved, that both Naturally, and by Supernatural Revelation God hath declared ſuch an Intereſt of Parents and Children in each other, as is much of the Reaſon of all that I here plead for: And he that will accurately obſerve the whole current of the Scripture herein, ſhall find this Conjunct-Intereſt aſſerted from end to end.
2. I am paſt doubt that it is a principal deſign of Satan to mortifie our Chriſtendom it ſelf, by keeping Parents from that intelligent and ſerious Covenanting with God, in their ſolemn dedication of their Children to him, which the greatneſs of the work and caſe requireth; and to turn our very Chriſtening into a Ceremony, or lifeleſs Formality: And it is not the leaſt part of my Non-conformity, that I dare not deliberately profeſs my Aſſent and Conſent, that no Parent ſhall be ſuffered in the Church to enter his own Child into the Covenant of God, nor to ſpeak one Covenanting, Promiſing, Undertaking, nor Dedicating word; (nor muſt be urged to be ſo much as preſent) But that Godfathers and Godmothers; who never give us any cauſe to believe that one of many thouſands of them take the Child for their own, nor ever purpoſe to Educate him, or do what there they Vow and Covenant to do, muſt be the only Covenanting Undertakers; and ſo that ſo much notorious falſe Vowing to God, or Perfidiouſneſs, muſt defile our Baptiſm: And now come theſe Anabaptiſts, and inſtead of calling the Parents to Seriouſneſs, and Holy Fidelity in ſo great a work, they tell them that it is none of their Duty at all.
3. And how light ſoever ſome make of Unity, I know that it's even Eſſential to the Church; As the Union of the Stones and Timber is to the Houſe, and of King and Subjects to the Kingdom; and of the ſeveral parts, to a Clock or Watch: For the Form is Relative. And do you think then that they befriend Christ or his Church, who turn the Sacrament of our Union into the occaſion of our great Diviſion? yea, and Unchriſten and Unchurch all the Chriſtian World in Infancy; yea, and a thouſand parts to one of the Chriſtian Church of the Adult, becauſe they are not Re-baptiſed at Age. Paſſion, and Prejudice, and Partiality (when men have eſpouſed the Intereſt of a Cauſe as the beſt and holyest in their eyes) may make men ſwallow ſuch things as theſe, and think that they ſerve God in reviling all that are againſt them. Were we agreed againſt Infants Covenant-Right, when ſhould we ever be agreed at what Age it is that they are to be received? and when a Childs Profeſſion were Valid? But he that thinketh that 1. All the Chriſtian World will ever Unite in the Renouncing of all Infants Covenant-Rights and Hopes. 2. Or that without Unity, (in the Eſſentials) or without Love and Peace the Church, of Christ is in a proſperous State, doth not judge as I do upon the moſt ſerious thoughts that I am able to exerciſe, and as I doubt not but I ſhall judge to the laſt breath, which is not like to be far off.