The Estate of Children of Church Members and their Right to Baptism, Treatise · Part 3 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Sect. I. Generall conſideration of the eight Propoſitions.
HAving ſeene before what defenſive and offenſive weapons the Armory of the Scripture affords us, for the juſt vindication of the controverted Title of the little ones of inchurched viſible beleevers unto the Covenant and Baptiſme, the initiatory ſeale thereof, the globe of contention is againe caſt by ſundry, and a challenge is made, that laying by a little thoſe ſpirituall weapons of our warfare (which indeed are mighty through God to caſt downe all the ſpecious Logiſmes, reaſonings of the ſonnes of men againſt Chriſt in the doctrine of his free grace and Covenant and initiatory ſeale thereof) wee ſhould try it out at other weapons, even humane teſtimonies and authorities. And beſides other darings of us this way; the Author or Authors of that Pamphlet entitled The plaine and well grounded treatiſe concerning Baptiſme, give out great words this way, and even conclude the victory before the fight. For my owne part I muſt confeſſe my ſelfe a very puny, and too too unskilfull at ſuch weapons; yet I ſhall (God willing) adventure to accept the challenge, and make a little tryall of their skill; not doubting, but when an eſſay ſhall bee made albeit by a learner, there will bee ſome able ſeconds to take up the cauſe when I have laid it downe.
But to leave Prefacing and fall to worke.
The ſubſtance of the booke is laid downe in theſe eight Propoſitions.
1 That Chriſt commanded his Apoſtles and ſervants of the holy Ghoſt firſt of all to preach the Goſpel and make Diſciples, and afterwards to baptize thoſe that were inſtructed in the faith, in calling upon and confeſſing the name of God. His proofs out of Scripture are, Matth. 28. 19. Mark 16. 15, 16. Luke 24. 45. John 4. 1, 2. Acts 22. 16.
This propoſition might paſſe for the moſt part as current, allowing a latitude in the word Diſciples: and underſtanding it of ſuch as were baptized meerely in their owne right, and taking that phraſe, calling upon the name of God, as not alwayes the preſent act of the perſons baptized at the inſtant of their baptiſme, but rather of the Miniſter baptizing; nor doth the inſtance of Paul, Act. 22. 16. prove this latter. It being abſurd even in adult perſons to ſuppoſe it thus in that example of the Samaritan woman that they ſhould in the open face of the Congregation when they were baptized make their perſonall and particular prayers, Acts 8. 12. or that every one of thoſe 3000. baptized that day, Acts 2. 41. made their ſeverall prayers; for if it wer… eſſentiall to the Ordinance to make ſuch perſonall prayers; ſince there is no ſtint how long, or how much they ſhould utter in calling upon Gods name, the Apoſtles had need to have ſpoken ſeverally to them, that you muſt not bee long, the time is ſhort, and if they had taken that paines, yet many dayes would have beene needfull to ſuch a worke: It was not poſſible to bee diſpatched that very day. As for the other Scriptures they have been elſe-where conſidered.
The ſecond Propoſition that the Apoſtles and ſervants of the Holy Ghoſt have according to the Commandement of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, firſt of all taught, and then afterwards thoſe that were inſtructed in the myſteries of the Kingdome of God were baptized upon the confeſſion of their faith. Proofes out of Scripture, 1 Cor. 1. 17. How this is a Proof I ſee not, for if hee alwayes preached before hee baptized, it might eaſily have been replyed, Yes Paul if God ſent you to baptize any he ſent you alſo to preach, for you are to preach alwayes to all perſons that you baptize, before you doe baptize them: why therefore doe you ſay you were not ſent to baptize, but to preach the Goſpel, ſince with the one you do the other? The other proofs, 1 Cor. 3. 6. and 4. 15. are ſomewhat farre fetched and ſtrained, but I will not ſtick there. Heb. 6. 1, 2. is as well applyed by Authors, Calvin, Beza, &c. as grounds of Paedobaptiſme, thoſe being the heads of Catechiſing, containing the ſumme of Chriſtian Doctrin, ſcil. profeſſion of faith and repentance, of the articles of which Doctrine an account was demanded of adult Pagans and Jewes at the time of their baptiſme, and therefore called the Doctrine of Baptiſmes (alluding in the plurall word to the many typicall waſhings in uſe of old among the Hebrewes or Jewes) but from baptized Infants the ſame was called, for when they were ſolemnely admitted to full Church Communion and declared ſo to bee by the Elders, commending them therein to God by prayer. And hence the ſame Doctrine is called alſo by the name of the Doctrine of Impoſition of hands. Amongſt which articles of that Doctrin two are ſingled out as containing the reſt, ſcil. the reſurrection of the fleſh and eternall judgement; See Calvin and Beza, in Locum. His next proofe, Heb. 10. 22. I let paſſe. In the next proofe Acts 2. 36, 38. 41. I obſerve how craftily the 39th. Verſ. is left out unmentioned, wherein the ſtrength of argument on our part doth conſiſt, Acts 8. 36, 37, 38. and 10. 47, 48. and 16. 31. to 34. But why is that example of Lydia here left out, and her houſhold, but that it ſpeakes too broadly, that albeit the Apoſtles ſometimes required confeſſion of ſome perſons which they baptized, yet not alwayes of all ſorts of perſons, as that one example witneſſeth? His other Scripture is that Acts 18. 8. but of all theſe conſideration is elſewhere had. This Propoſition with the limitations formerly mentioned may paſſe, ſuppoſing it not underſtood excluſively, that ſuch as they baptized were ſuch, therefore they baptized none other but ſuch, which is a non ſequitur.
3 Propoſition: That after the Apoſtles time by the ancient fathers in the primitive Church, who obſerved and followed the Ordinance of Chriſt, and the example of the Apoſtle, the people were commonly firſt inſtructed in the myſteries of faith, and after that they were taught they were baptized upon confeſſion of the ſame.
This Propoſition, ſano ſenſu, might paſſe alſo, underſtanding that that was the Ordinance of Chriſt, and practiſe of the Apoſtles ſo farre as concernes growne perſons baptiſme: but yet that was not all intended in the one, nor practiſed by the other. And the Propoſition it ſelfe implyeth as much, ſaying commonly it was ſo, the people being not as now many are, in a manner wholly profeſſing Chriſt, but rather wholly Pagan and Prophane and Idolatrous; but alwayes it was not ſo even then; for their little ones which were not brought to the faith were alſo baptized.
4 Propoſition: That by the ancient Fathers of the Primitive Church, the children both of the faithfull and others, were commonly firſt inſtituted in the faith, and afterwards upon acknowledging and confeſſing of the ſame they were baptized.
This Propoſition is full of equivocall termes, it may not therefore paſſe without ſome Animadverſions: for it may ſo be interpreted as to ſtand with truth, yet ſo alſo as to bee utterly falſe. [Primitive Church] may bee underſtood of the Church in the ſame immediatly following the Apoſtles time, or as in ſome of his Authors, for the Church that ſucceeded more then an 100. yeares, yea poſſibly 200. or 300. afterwards. Rupertus Tiulienſis ſaith it was the cuſtome of the Church of old that they adminiſtred the Sacrament of regeneration onelyonly at Eaſter and Pentecoſt, &c. which if it begun in Victors time, to whom that reſtraint of the time of baptiſme, unleſſe in caſe of neceſſitie, is attributed as the Author of it about the yeere 290. Albeit Rivet in his firſt Book Critici Sacri, cap. 8. citeth the Magdeburge hiſtorians centur. 1. cap. 8. as proving the Decretalls aſcribed to Victor to be ſpurious; or if not then, but ſome time in the third Centurie, yet it ſufficeth to ſhew in what Latitude of time Rupertus his expreſſions runne when hee ſpeaketh of what was the uſe in the Church of old. And in the primitive Church, in this Latitude, it's probable there might bee ſundry which upon corrupt grounds might deferre both their own and their childrens baptiſme too, as appeares by the Orations of Gregory Nazianzen ſtirring up as to come more ſpeedily themſelves to bee baptized, ſo to offer their little ones at the moſt, if no danger bee towards, (in which caſe hee adviſeth the ſame ſooner) when three yeeres old, if ſo long deferred, yet then to offer them to baptiſme, which was before they could bee able to make ſuch an acknowledgement of the faith, or confeſſion of their ſinnes. But more of him afterwards. [Children of the faithfull] if hee intend ſuch children as were knowing and able to underſtand truth taught them, ſo as to bee apprehenſive of their ſinnes, &c. It's true, they uſed when any were received into Church fellowſhip, which had ſuch adult children at that time, thoſe to inſtruct in that way before thoſe children were baptized. But if underſtood of little ones not capable of ſuch an iſſue and effect of ſuch inſtruction, thoſe they uſed alſo then to baptize before ſuch inſtructions. And for this let the Authors owne teſtimonies which hee quoteth, Propoſition 7. of Origen, Auſtin and Gregory the fourth witneſſe. For wee now ſpeake not to that, whether it were onelyonly a Church cuſtome and tradition, &c. wee ſhall ſpeake to that afterwards. But ſuppoſe it were onelyonly a Church cuſtome and tradition, yet its proofe ſufficient that it was ſo anciently in uſe as there is mentioned, that even children were baptized before they were thus inſtructed, as the cited places declare, of which more hereafter.
5 Propoſition: That according to the inſtitution of the Lord Chriſt, and the Apoſtles and ancient Fathers right uſe, the Teachers required faith with Baptiſme, and that hee that was baptized muſt himſelfe acknowledge and confeſſe the ſame, and call upon the name of the Lord: for which Matth. 28. Marke 16. Acts 8. are againe urged, of which before; ſo Acts 19. 2, 3, 4, 5. 1 Pet. 3. 21. not now to ſpeake how pertinently this laſt place eſpecially is brought or not. The propoſition if underſtood as adaequately expreſſing all that Chriſt ordained, or the Apoſtles practiſed, and the Fathers after them, which baptized regularly, as if none elſe were baptized but ſuch as came in ſuch a way, is denied as falſe.
6 Propoſition: That Chriſt neither gave commandement for baptizing of children nor inſtituted the ſame, and that the Apoſtles never baptized any Infants: this Propoſition in the termes of it is falſe, as before hath appeared when wee proved, that a conſequentiall command of Scripture is Chriſts command, and that ſuch a command there is for the baptiſme of children. The other part alſo, that the Apoſtles never baptized any Infants, is as raſh and falſe.
7 Propoſition is of the ſame ſtamp, ſcil. that the baptiſme of Infants and ſucklings is a ceremony and Ordinance▪ of man brought into the Church by Teachers ſince the Apoſtles time, and inſtituted and commanded by Councells, Popes and Emperours.
8 Propoſition, labours of the ſame Frenzie, ſc. that young children or Infants ought not to bee baptized, and that none ought to bee brought or driven, or compelled thereunto. Proved by Scripture, Matth. 28. 19. Mark. 16. 15. Theſe three Propoſitions might have been all put into one, but that the Author or Authors would ſpeake many things; ſo might the other five Propoſitions have been reduced to fewer heads.
The unſoundneſſe of theſe Proproſitions in the Authors ſenſe I hope hath been cleared to humble and pliable minds in the former diſcourſe.