The Estate of Children of Church Members and their Right to Baptism, Treatise · Part 3 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. SECT. I.
I Might now have breathed a little and reſted my ſelfe, but that Mr. B. boldly challengeth any man to prove Infants Baptiſme out of Juſtin Martyr, Ireneus, Origen, Clemens, Alexandrinus, or Tertullian, and after profeſſeth hee regardeth no authoritie after the firſt 300. yeeres. And others alſo call for Greeke authors and Teſtimony out of the Greeke Churches for it. I am of ſmall reading, I confeſſe, yet ſhall endeavour if it bee ſatisfaction onelyonly that is herein ſought, to preſent ſome few things this way unto the conſideration of godly, ſober and learned mindes, and then draw to a concluſion of the whole diſcourſe; onelyonly premiſing that in ſpeaking from any of theſe Authors; whether touching the jus or fact of Paedobaptiſme; it ſufficeth if either expreſſely or by conſequence the ſame bee held forth by them: for this in Scripture courſe is allowed; when we are to prove any thing that ought to bee done or was done, either way of proofe, literall or collaterall and conſequentiall ſufficeth. Of Iuſtin.To begin with Juſtin Martyr, hee in his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, having ſpoken in way of vilifying circumciſion in reference to Jewiſh Idolizing of truſting in, and urging of it upon the Gentiles, hee hath theſe words, foreign, &c. and you indeed which are circumciſed in the fleſh, need our circumciſion, (that is baptiſme.) But we having this, have no need of that, namely as having ours (ſcil. Baptiſme) in its ſtead, and addes foreign, &c. wee in that wee were ſinners (oppoſing the Gentiles to the Jewes) have by reaſon of the mercy of God been received, and ſo it is but equall to all, that all ſhould equally receive it, ſcil. Circumciſion or Baptiſme ſpoken of, hee maketh our Baptiſme to bee in ſtead of their outward circumciſion, and this to bee received by the Gentiles, in that ſinners by reaſon of mercy, and this to be equall to all to bee received by them equally, meaning either all Gentiles ſimply: and that I think he intends not; or at leaſt all, ſcil. all ſorts of Gentiles, high, low, rich, poore, bond, free, male, female, babes, youths and elder ones.
Of Irenius.Ireneus ſuppoſing the place quoted lib. 2. adverſus haereſ. Valentiniani ſimilium cap. 39. Magiſter ergo exiſtens Magiſtri babebat aetatem, &c. Chriſt being a Maſter had the age of a Maſter, neither rejecting nor ſurpaſſing man, nor diſſolving in himſelfe his owne law of mankind, but ſanctifying every age, by the like in himſelfe, for hee came to ſave all, ſcil. (all ſorts) by himſelfe; all I ſay which are new borne unto God by him, Infants and little ones, lads and youths, and elder ones, &c. Ireneus his judgement is, that Chriſt is a Maſter to all ſorts of men, to thoſe of all ages, Infants, youth, or elder perſons, and by force of Relata then in his judgement, Infants as well as adults are his Schollers or Diſciples, that ſpecies of mankind, Infants as well as growne ones, albeit not all individuall Infants whatſoever, come under relation to Chriſt as a Maſter; therefore in his judgement, that ſort of perſons being actually Diſciples (not meerely capable of it) the priviledge of Diſciples, ſcil. Baptiſme, is their due. 2. Hee judgeth that ſpecies of mankind Infants as well as others to bee actually partakers of ſanctification by Chriſt of the new birth, &c. the thing ſealed in Baptiſme: therefore ſuppoſing his judgement, thus in the one; it is regular for him to judge, that that ſort of mankind are to bee viſibly Baptized as well as that other ſort of growne ones.
Origen is next and wee have already proved ſuppoſing any ground of jealouſie againſt that quoted place in the Romans, yet that of Luke, is of unqueſtionable credit touching both his judgement and practiſe of Paedobaptiſme. Of Clemens Alexandrinus.Clemens Alexandrinus is next, where in his fourth booke of his Stromat. alluding to that of Job, returne, ſaith hee, not naked of poſſeſſions, that is common, but of ſinne, foreign, &c. for this is it which is ſaid, Unleſſe being converted, ye become as little children; cleane indeed in body, but holy in ſoule, by abſtayning from wicked workes; ſhewing (ſaith Clemens) that hee would have us ſuch like, as hee hath begot out of the Matrix or wombe of the water, foreign, &c. for generation meeting with or receiving of, or cloſing with generation, ſcil. in baptiſme, will make us immortall by progreſſe, viz. in good, &c. I deny not but Clemens alluding to this place of little ones hath ſometimes other applications of it not croſſe but ſubordinate to this, but I ſee not how it can otherwiſe bee underſtood, but that hee maketh a very child here the patterne as cleane in body and holy in ſoule (ſcil. Sacramentally in Baptiſme) according to that deſcription in waſhing bodies with pure water, and heart ſprinkling from an ill conſcience, ſcil. guilt of ſinne, Heb. 10. 8. A periphraſis of Baptiſme, unleſſe any ſay, Infants are Innocents, cleane from ſinne originall, and expounding whom hee meanes which here hee ſets as the patterne to growne ones; hee ſaith, ſuch like as are begotten in or by Baptiſme (as Genſianus Hervetus on the place noteth) comparing Baptiſme to the wombe out of which an Infant is borne; and ſo here new borne, and ſo the little one is the pattern to ſuch as will bee ſaved: not as an Infant meerely, but as ſuch a little one that is pure in body and ſoule, which here hee further explicateth, that is, ſuch an one as is begotten againe in Baptiſme. Hee ſpeaketh not this of adult ones: they are the perſons that muſt bee ſuch like; they cannot bee both the Patternes and the perſons reſembling them too, the little ones thus holy and thus new borne are the patterne which as ſoone as borne in a man are new borne Sacramentally in baptiſme. Their generation and that their new ganeration doe as it were joyne and hang and hand together.
Concerning Tertullian if his judgement bee in ſome caſe for deferring Baptiſme, yet his gloſſe upon that ground upon Matth. 19. (which according to him requires baptizing of the Perſons ſo invited) is abſurd, and his other expreſſions de Anima mentioned ſeeme croſſe thereto, but for the practiſe of Paedobaptiſme in his time beſide… what Origen about his time teſtifieth to evince it, his own words mentioned before in the beginning of his book de Baptiſmo, and his arguing againſt the practiſe of haſting Infants to baptiſme doth prove it to bee then in uſe.
Cyprian was within this 300. yeers, and therefore his teſtimony may not be ſlightly put by as before wee ſhewed, his 59. Epiſtle ad Fidum ſo oppoſed in our cauſe is yet authoritative with ſome oppoſites to prove the typicalneſſe of the eighth day. Amongſt the Greeke authors called for that which is recorded to have beene urged in the councell by one of the members of that councell of Neoceſarea before mentioned, touching the occaſion of that Law of baptizing the woman with child come from Paganiſme to the faith, is of much weight, other Greek councells, as the 6th. councell of Conſtantinople, and Trullo, &c. are of moment alſo.
As for Ignatius his teſtimony, I doe not remember when I read it ſomewhile ſince, that hee ſpeakes of baptiſme of adult or Infants purpoſely; and if hee had, ſo many of the Epiſtles fathered upon him, being ſpurious, and the reſt that may bee his, being ſo mixed and corrupted, much heed would not bee given to his teſtimony.
Euſebius it's knowne omitted many things of note, as where and when Juſtin was baptized: and the ſtory of that famous writer Theognoſtus, of whom and his workes Athanaſius makes mention de Synod. Nic. decr. contra Arrianos, quoted by Baronius in his firſt Tome.
Anno 330.Of Athanaſius.Athanaſius (himſelf if that Queſtion be his which ſome have ſcrupled) his teſtimony queſt. 125. is full for it; for in that we thrice dip the child in water and lift it up againe it ſignifieth the death of Chriſt and his riſing the third day againe, &c. the ſentence before being the ſimilitude ſtands thus: as Chriſt died and roſe the third day, ſo wee in baptiſme die and riſe againe, for in that, &c. as before.
But that is undeniably his owne upon Luke 10. All things are given to mee, &c. pag. 197. hee makes baptiſme to ſucceed circumciſion, urging that proofe, Col. 2. 12. wherefore, ſaith he, when that was come unto which the figure did denote, that note and figure ceaſeth and reſteth, for circumciſion was the note (or figure) the laver of regeneration (or baptiſme) is the very thing which was ſignified, this is no other then the Doctrine wee hold forth: and whence by Analogy wee deduce the doctrine of Paedobaptiſm. The ſame alſo teacheth Epiphanius.
Anno 396.Of Epiphanius.Epiphanius contra haereſes, contra Epicuraeos, there was circumciſion of the fleſh which ſerved unto the time of the great circumciſion, ſcil. Baptiſme, which circumciſeth us from our ſins, and ſealeth us into the name of God: and contra Corinth. Circumciſion laſted as a ſervant for a time untill the greater Circumciſion, namely, the laver of regeneration came in ſtead, and Tom. 2. l. 1. Chriſt came and fulfilled circumciſion, having given a perfect circumciſion among his myſteries, not in one member onelyonly but of the whole body, being ſealed and circumciſed from ſinnes, and not ſaving one part of his people, that is, men onelyonly, but the whole people of Chriſtians (ſcil. men, women and children) hee compleateth circumciſion by all their circumciſing from ſinne in baptiſme. Yea, but why then did not Epiphanius uſe that argument of Paedobaptiſm againſt the Collirydians as well as that taken from their intereſts in Gods Kingdome, &c. The anſwer is ready; it's likely that all thoſe heretiques might as well as ſome others deny Paedobaptiſme in a ſenſe, if not wholly, and what then the argument from Paedobaptiſme had been invalid; beſides it's not neceſſary that a man in diſproving errour or proving truth ſhould uſe all the arguments hee hath by him; or that it bee concluded hee hath no more arguments that way becauſe hee uſeth them not.
Anno 369.What Baſil ſaid this way as I finde him quoted by Aretius on Luke 18. I have mentioned formerly, I have not time to ſearch him and read him exactly.
Anno 380.What Gregory Nazianzen hath this way for us, yea if ſtrictly expounded: how hee is ours we have ſeene before.
Anno 405.Of Chryſoſtome.John Chryſoſtome which Mr. Blackwood makes his owne in his 21. Homil. to the people of Antioch, (which if not ſpurious as ſundry of them are, ſee Perkins and Rivet) yet not underſtood excluſive. And it's much that Mr. B. that ſaith, pag. 31. hee regards not any authoritie after the firſt 300. yeares, will yet quote the Nicene Councell 325. the Laodicean Councell 308. the Conſtantinople Councell about 400. Baſil 380. and Chryſoſtome 405. yeers after Chriſt, as of much uſe on his part in way of authoritie, yet ſaith hee will not regard any authorities (which the other party at leaſt bring) above the limit of time. But to returne to Chryſoſtome, who in his 40. Homil. upon Geneſis ſaith, But our circumciſion or grace I ſay of Baptiſme hath cure without griefe, and brings innumerably good things to us, &c. and it hath no limited time ſet as there was: but it is lawfull to receive this circumciſion made without hands either in our firſt, or middle, or laſt age, and ſo in his homily ad Neophytos, foreign, for this cauſe wee alſo baptize little ones which have no ſinne (meaning of their owne, have not committed actuall ſinnes) that to them righteouſneſſe, holineſſe, adoption, inheritance and fraternitie of Chriſt may be communicated, that they may all become his members and an habitation of his Spirit.
Anno 430.Of Theodoret.Theodoret in his Epitome of divine decrees and Cap. of baptiſm. for baptiſm is not like a razour, as the frantique Meſſalians ſay, taking away (onelyonly) ſinnes that are paſt: for that God giveth in ſuperabundantly; for if this only were the effect of baptiſme, why doe we baptize infants which have not yet reliſhed ſin? for the Sacrament doth not promiſe onelyonly thoſe things but greater, for it is the pledge of future good things, and a type of future reſurrection, and it is the communication of the Lords death and participation of his reſurrection, the garment of ſalvation and gladneſſe. For as many as are baptized into Chriſt have put on Chriſt, and as many as are baptized into Chriſt are baptized into his death, that as Chriſt was raiſed from the dead, ſo wee ſhould walke in newneſſe of life, and adding, haec nos de ſanctiſſimo baptiſmo ſentire docuit Apoſtolus, and the Apoſtle hath taught us thus to hold concerning baptiſme; and makes thoſe ſpeeches, Gal. 3. and Rom. 6. to bee verified in Infants baptizing as well as others; and that they are baptized in reſpect of future good rather then preſent, and that the Apoſtle taught them ſo to thinke hereof. Nor is that Dionyſius Graecus, who ever hee were, (albeit not the Areopagite, yea albeit having ſundry mixtures in his booke) to bee wholly ſlighted or neglected.
SECT. II.
Caſſander de baptiſ. Inf. Of the Eaſterne and Greek Churches.As for the Eaſterne and Greeke Churches, Caſſanders teſtimony is very round and full, (albeit their diſcipline may well bee gathered by their teachers and councells doctrine) ſpeaking of teſtimony of Paedobaptiſme he ſaith, but eſpeciall and chiefe teſtimony and weight of authoritie to this baptiſme of Infants, is further added, from the univerſall and conſtant cuſtome, which unto this day in the Churches which are extant in the world, and there are many ſuch without the limits of the Roman Church is retained, for the Churches which are yet remaining in Greece, Aſia, Syria, Aegypt, and India, and the Ruſſians and Muſcovites which follow the Greeke orders; laſtly, the Aethiopians under the government of Preſter John; I ſay all theſe Chriſtians profeſſing nations, although differing in ſome opinions, and rites, yet in the cuſtome of baptizing Infants, they all of old agreed among themſelves, ſome ſtating the 8. and the Aethiopians the 40. day for baptizing them, unleſſe in the caſe of danger or thoſe of the female Sex. The Ruſſians, and Armenians baptize Infants as they doe Adults, unleſſe that when they baptize Infants, there are witneſſes; and the Indian Chriſtians doe ſo likewiſe, for which hee quotes Joſephus Judas in his Aethiopian navigations, and Franciſcus Alvares, and it's not credible that ſuch Churches ſo averſe from the Latines, would yet buckle to their cuſtomes of conſecrating the unleavened bread, or eating thngs ſtrangled, or blood, that they did borrow this of Paedobaptiſme (ſo much abhord formerly by them) from the Weſterne Churches; and Paget in his Chriſtianography citeth a ſpeech of the Biſhop of Bitonto in the Councell of Trent, acknowledging of the Greeke Church thus: ea igitur Graecia mater eſt, that the Greeke Church is that mother to whom the Latin owneth whatever it hath; ſee the acts of the Councell of Trent, pag. 18. and hee mentions the forme of the Ruſſians baptiſme, the Prieſt when hee dippeth the child uſeth theſe words in the name of the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghoſt, and as oft as the God-fathers are asked whether they renounce the Devill, ſo oft they ſpit on the ground, Guagniny relig. Muſcovit.
In the Greeke Church the Prieſt having ſaid certaine prayers, taking the child in his armes, putteth him three times into the water ſaying: The ſervant of God N N. is baptized in the name of the Father, the Sonne and Holy Ghoſt. Jerom the Patriarch pag. 103. and the ſame doth Thomas Aquinas obſerve in his third part, Queſt. 6. Artic. 8. Queſt. 67. Artic. 6. and Queſt. 66. A…tic. the 5th. And the ſame doth Dominic. a Sot. in queſt. 1. Art. 8. teſtifie, and let mee adde two things more; Firſt, that the doctrine of Paedobaptiſme was never ex profeſſo oppoſed by any Orthodox Churches, or Chriſtians in all the times of old, as farre as I can finde; of Tertullians mind wee have ſpoken before, and Gregory Nazianzen; how farre they went Auxentius the Arrian Biſhop of Millain, as Bullinger in his Decads hath it, did ſo, and ſo indeed did the Samoſatenian Heretiques. The Donatiſts they baptized Infants, witneſſe the 48. Canon of the third Carthaginian Councell in reference to Siritius and Simplicianus. So did other African Councels in Auſtins time ordaine that children baptized by Donatiſts ſhould not bee rebaptized; the Pelagians themſelves denied it not wholly. Auſtin in his 14. Sermon de verbis Apoſtoli. baptizand… eſſe parvulos nemo dubitet, &c. none need to doubt of baptiſme ſince even thoſe here doubt not, which in part doe contradict (ſcil. the Pelagians:) there are caſes, and times wherein ſome one of the ſervants of God ſaw much more then many, and moſt did; as Athanaſius, and ſome few more in the point of the Divinitie of Chriſt in that Arrian age, and Paphnutius the Confeſſor in the point of Miniſters marriage to which the Fathers of the Nicene Councell had like to have gone contrary, and yet before and after theſe times, whole Churches and Councels held out as much as theſe Saints did.
SECT. IIII.
Object. NO ſuch example in the oppoſers of Paedobaptiſme; Yes, (you will ſay) Berengarius about a 1050. and afterwards Peter de Brucis, and the Albingenſes and ſo the Waldenſes, (for they had ſuch diverſe names according to places and countries in which they were ſcattered, &c.) they denied it, and ſome of them appealed to the Scriptures, and to the Greeke Church for warrant.
Anſw. I deny not but that the Popiſh writers (as their manner is) uſe to brand the ſervants of God with ſome odious tenents, for which all would hate them, when that they never held the ſame; but that old accuſer of the Brethren caſteth on by his inſtruments that dirt, waſh it off who can. Plateolus, Abbas Cluviacenſis and others traded this way, concerning Berengarius and his followers. Dr. Ʋſher de ſucceſſione & ſtatu Eccleſiarum Chriſtianarum, Cap. 7. pa. 207. quoteth Tbuanus accuſing him and them thereof, but evinceth the contrary both in that: In all the Summons of Berengarius before the Synod wee never read hee was charged with Anabaptiſme, and that hee rather denyed baptiſme to profit Infants to ſalvation, ex opere operato, for which hee quoteth Alanus in his firſt booke againſt the Heretiques of his times; as ſaying: that baptiſme had no efficacy either in Infant or grown perſons, &c. and in p. 195. citeth Serarius in Trihareſio — as ſaying, qui hodie ſunt Calviniſti, olim dicti fuerunt Berengariani, & qui hodie Proteſtantes dicuntur, Johanni Wendelſtino (praefat. in Cod. Canonum,) novi ſunt Waldenſes. They then acknowledge their and our doctrine to bee the ſame, and therefore no Antipaedobaptiſts, and Gretzer prolegom. in Script. edit. contra Waldenſes cap. 1. citeth this as one of their Articles of confeſſion, credimus etiam qu…d non ſalvatur quis niſi qui baptizatur, viz. ordinarily, and parvulos ſalvari per baptiſmum, and wee beleeve that little children are ſaved by baptiſme, and ſo in the ſame cap. 8. doth Dr. Ʋſher cleare Peter de Brucis, and his followers from all ſuch aſperſions. They were accuſed too for rejecting the Old-Teſtament, and Evangeliſts, yet by Gretzer and others they are cleared as thoſe that tranſlated; and taught the ſame; and Reiner the Inquiſitour ſaid, they were ſo well acquainted with the old and new Teſtament, as that they could ſay much thereof by heart: the hiſtory of the Waldenſes mentioneth this accuſation of them, as if denying Paedobaptiſme, but citeth a booke of the Waldenſes intituled the ſpirituall Almanack, fol. 45. to the contrary, ordering that though no time or day bee ſet, yet the charitie, and edification of the Church muſt ſerve for a rule therein, and therefore they to whom the children were neareſt allied brought their Infants to bee baptized as their parents, or any other whom God had made charitable in that kind. True it is ſaith the Author of that ſtory (ſcil. John Paul Peruin. of Lyons, l. 1. c. 4.) they being forced by the Popiſh Prieſt to bring their children, would delay their baptiſme out of deteſtation of the ſuperſtitious addition: and their owne Miniſters (cald Barbes) being very often (and ſometimes very long) upon the Churches ſervice, they would deferre their childrens baptiſme to their returne; which delayes of theirs being obſerved by the Popiſh Prieſts they thence raiſed that report, and charged them with that impoſture: they appealed to the Greeke Church, not as denying Paedobaptiſme, for they held and practiſed it as before was ſhewed, but as to a Church that was not ſo corrupt in diſpenſing it, as not uſing Chriſme, croſſing and exorciſing; as the Latin Church did in baptizing any: See Flaccus Illiricus Catalogo teſtium veritatis, pag. 434. Waldenſes ſemper baptizarunt Infantes, &c. the Waldenſes ever uſed to baptize their Infants: nor doe they now hold againſt it; they ſpake not againſt baptiſme of Infants ſimply, but as not adminiſtred by thoſe of Rome in the vulgar tongue; nor doth Aeveas Sylvius in his Bohemian Story of the Waldenſian tenents, although hee bee an exact ſifter into the ſuppoſed errours of the Waldenſes, charge them with Antipaedobaptiſme.
SECT. IIII.
BUt to returne to that firſt conſideration, let it bee weighed …hat as Auſtin long agoe ſaid of it, Nullus Chriſtianorum, &c. No Chriſtians (orthodox and godly) had ever denyed Paedobaptiſme, l. 4. Con. Donat. c. 13. Secondly, adde alſo this, that if it had been any way juſtly ſuſpicious, why did not the Meſſalians wholly deny it, and the Pelagians alſo? what need had they to uſe that ſhift of Infants to bee baptized to the kingdome of God, but not to the remiſſion of ſinnes? this argument Auſtin uſeth Serm. 14. de verb. Apoſt. Yea but they were affraid of the authoritie of the Church being great therein, that is ſtrange that Heretiques that regarded not ſo directly to goe againſt, in their opinions, as well expreſſe letter of Scripture, as the doctrine of the Church in fundamentall matters, ſhould yet bee affraid of the Church in a matter circa fundamentalia, and not ſo expreſſe in ſo many words as Paedobaptiſme was, who will imagine ſuch an unlikelihood? A have done with this diſpute for preſent, onelyonly I could adviſe that Mr. Blackwood, and others would bee more ſparing of ſuch printed blaſpheming of the name and tabernacle of the Lord, as to ſtile this (which to all the Saints (in a manner) of old, and to the moſt that now live is of precious eſteeme and uſe) an Antichriſtian Garriſon, and the doctrine of the man of ſinne, or of Antichriſt. Mr. Blackwood I am ſure doth know what is the judgement of all Orthodox Divines touching Antichriſt, and who, or what it is that is ſo; and where hee hath his ſeat, and when hee had his riſe. And cannot bee ignorant wholly that Paedobaptiſme was of univerſall eſteeme, and uſe (in a manner) long before thoſe propheſyings and pointings out of Antichriſt by many of the ancients; the Greeke Church which had not what doctrine and worſhip they had, and held from the Latin Church, but the Latine Church had it rather from them (as in the Councell of Trent was before acknowledged) and which was averſe from Romiſh cuſtomes; yet they held Paedobaptiſme, as before was proved. It is dangerous ſpeaking a word againſt the Sonne, (much more writing) albeit not ſo irrecoverably as to ſpeake againſt the Holy Ghoſt; hee had need bee on good, ſure and cleare grounds (if it were ſuppoſable hee could bee ſo) that aſſayes to charge God fooliſhly with the reaſons of his covenantings, or diſpenſations, and ſo palpably as to deny that God made a Covenant of Grace with Abraham, Gen. 17. and ſuch like inaudita. It's dangerous pretending an imaginary Garriſon, and in fighting againſt that as a ſuppoſed Garriſon of Antichriſt, whereon a man hazards the name and doth the worke of one which will bee found a fighter againſt God: wee know who would not bring a rayling accuſation againſt the Devill, and how dare any ſo boldly revile ſuch a received and ratified truth, as that of Gods exhibition, and diſpenſation of his grace in a preventing way to thoſe whoſe ſeed after them in Scripture Language are counted bleſſed. The Saints of old were very tender of ſpeaking any thing in ſuch a ſort as tended to the condemnation of the juſt.