The Dippers Dipped, Article 1 – Article 2
ARTIC. I.
Concerning Dipping.
ANABAPTIST.
None are rightly Baptized but those who are Dipt.
THE REFUTATION.
Though Dipping may be used in Baptisme;See Edward Barber his treatise of Baptisme or Dipping, wherein it is cleerly shewed, that the Lord Christ ordained dipping, printed London 1641. and a Treatise intituled. The vanity of childish Baptism, wherein it is proved (so saith the title-page) that Baptizing is Dipping, and Dipping Baptizing, printed London 1642. by A. R. idem pag. 12. They that have the administration of Baptism without Dipping, have not the Baptisme of the New Testament. and if the childe be strong, and the weather and climate temperate, it is very fit to be used, and the church of England both alloweth it, and practiseth it: yet it is no way necessary, or essentiall to Baptisme: neither ought they who have been washed or sprinkled according to the form prescribed by our Saviour, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost by a lawfull Minister, by any means be rebaptized; which I prove.
ARGUMENT I.
That which Christ who is the Authour and Ordainer of Baptisme requireth not, cannot be necessary or essentiall to the right administration of that Sacrament.
But Christ no where requireth Dipping, but onelyonly Baptizing, which word, as Hesychius, and Stephanus, and Scapula, and Budaeus, the great masters of the Greek tongue, make good by very many instances, and allegations out of Classick writers, importeth no more then Ablution or Washing (foreign, say they in their Lexicons and Commentaries, foreign, id est lavo, foreign lavatio, ablutio) which may be done without Dipping.
Ergo, Dipping is not necessary to the right administration of Baptisme.
ARGUMENT II.
If the words Baptize and Baptisme are often used in holy Scripture where the persons or things said to be Baptized were not Dipt, then certainly Dipping is not necessary to Baptisme, neither will the word Baptize inforce any such thing.
But the words Baptize and Baptisme are used in Scriptures, where neither the persons nor things were Dipt, as appears by these texts of holy Scriptures, Matth. 3. 11. be shall baptize you with the holy Ghost, and with fire; which promise Acts 1. 5. is applied to the sending down of the holy Ghost in the shape of fiery tongues; and Acts 2. 3 it was fulfilled when the Apostles were filled with the holy Ghost, and spake with other tongues: yet were they not Dipt into that fire that came down from heaven, but, as the text saith, the cloven tongues like fire sate upon each of them. And again, Matth. 20. 23. Christ foretelling his disciples that they should partake with him in his sufferings, and drink deep of the cup of trembling, expresseth it by the phrase of Baptizing, Mark 10. 38.saying; Ye shall be Baptized with the Baptisme that I am Baptized with: yet neither was Christ, nor any of his disciples, that we read of, dipt into blood, but onelyonly sprinkled, washed, or besmeared therewith; Likewise, Mark 7. 48. we read of foreign, word for word baptismes of cups, pots, tables, or beds: yet cupts or pots when they are washed or rinsed, (as viz. at a pump) are not necessarily Dipt into the water, but onelyonly water powred into them and upon them, with rubbing, &c. And for tables and beds, they are not washed by Dipping; for in mens houses they have no commodity of so great lavers or broad wells, wherein tables may be Dipt; and the dipping, especially of beds, will do them more hurt then good. Lastly, we read, 1 Cor. 10. 2. of baptizing in the cloud, and Heb. 9. 10. of foreign,and Heb. 6. 2. The doctrine of Baptismes. divers Baptismes, or Washings, and carnall ordinances imposed on the Jews untill the time of Reformation: yet were not the Jews who are said to be baptized, dipt in the cloud, but they were onelyonly washed with it as men are in a shower of rain; neither did Moses in the ceremoniall law prescribe different kindes of Dippings, though he did severall kindes of cleansing, purifying or washing, nor did the Apostle deliver any doctrine of many Dippings, but ablutions.
Ergo, Dipping is no way necessary to Baptisme.
ARGUMENT III.
If the thing, or spirituall act or grace signified by Baptisme may be sufficiently expressed without Dipping, then is not Dipping necessary in Baptisme: for the whole use of the signe in Baptisme, & in all other Sacraments, is but to represent the thing signified, and inwardly wrought upon the soul by the means of that ordinance of God.
But the thing signified, to wit, the cleansing of the soul from the guilt and filth of sin, may be sufficiently expressed by washing or rubbing with water, and so putting away the filth of the flesh, 1 Pet. 3. 21. without any plunging or Dipping of the whole body, or any part thereof.
Ergo, Dipping is not necessary in Baptisme.
ARGUMENT IIII.
Sprinkling may be done, and is usually without any Dipping at all.
But the outward act of Baptisme representing the inward Ablution of the soul is expressed in holy Scripture by sprinkling, Hebr. 9. 13. The blood of bulls and goats sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh. Heb. 10. 22. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Through the sanctification of the spirit, and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ.
Ergo, The outward act of Baptisme may be rightly performed without any Dipping at all.
ARGUMENT V.
Baptisme is a Sacrament, though not of absolute necessity, yet of very great, (as all confesse) and it falleth out often that it ought to be administred to sick and infirm persons, even sometimes lying upon their death bed, they making profession of their Faith, and earnestly desiring it.
But in such case these infirm persons cannot after the manner of the Anabaptists be carried to rivers, or wells, and there be Dipt and plunged in them, without evident and apparent danger: yet may they safely be Baptised by sprinkling, or gentle rubbing with water.
Ergo, Sprinkling, or rubbing the flesh with water in the Name of the Trinity, by those who have authority and commission from Christ, is sufficient without any Dipping at all.
ARGUMENT VI.
All the Sacraments of the church may and ought to be administred without giving any just scandall.
But the resort of great multitudes of men and women together in the evening, and going naked into rivers, there to be plunged and Dipt, cannot be done without scandall, especially where the State giveth no allowance to any such practise, nor appointeth any order to prevent such fowl abuses as are like at such disorderly meetings to be committed.
Ergo, The Sacrament of Baptisme ought not to be administred with such plunging or Dipping.
The Objections of the Anabaptists answered.
Now let us hear what they can say for their Dipping, and with what weak bulrushes they fight against the truth.
Fist, they object,Obj. 1. A. R. Trearise of Baptisme, P. 9. your translatours give it to Dip. Matth. 26. 23. Mark. 4. 20. Luke 16. 24. Sol. 1. that the word Baptize is derived from foreign, signifying to Dip or Die; therefore, say they, washing or sprinkling with water is not Baptizing, but plunging the body, or the head at least in water.
But we answer, First, out of Aquinas and the schoolmen, in verbis non tam spectandum ex quo, quam ad quid sumantur, in words we are not so much to respect from whence they are derived, as how they are used: as we see the branches of trees spread much further then the roots, so the derivative words are often of a larger extent of signification then their primitives; for instance, foreign is derived from foreign, and signifieth originally and properly, Catechizing, or such a kinde of Teaching wherein the principles of Religion, or of any Art or Science are often inculcated, and by continuall sounding and resounding beat into the ears of children or novies: but yet it is taken in holy Scripture in a larger sense, not onelyonly for catchizing of children, but instructing men of riper yeers in the doctrine of salvation, as Luke 1. 4. That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, foreign, Wherein thou hast been instructed, and Acts 1825. foreign, This man was instructed in the way of the Lord: and Acts 21. 24. foreign, Whereof they informed concerning thee: and Rom. 14. 19. foreign, Follow the things wherewith one may edifie another: and Gal. 6. 6. foreign, Let him that as taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth him. In like manner, The word prophecie is derived from foreign & foreign, which signifieth originally and properly to foretell things future: yet it is taken, in the new Testament especially, in a larger sense, for all such as reveale the will of God, and declare his promises, aswell past and already fulfilled, as to be fulfilled hereafter, as namely, 1 Cor. 11. 4. every man praying or prophecying having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 1 Cor. 14. 1. Desire spirituall gifts, but rather that ye may prophesie; and verse 3. He that prophesieth, speaketh unto men to edification, to exhortation, to comfort. verse 31. Ye may all prophes…e one by one: verse 32. The spirit of the prophets are subject to the prophets. So the word Baptize, though it be derived from foreign, tingo, to Dip or Plunge into the water, and signifieth primarily such a kinde of washing as is used in bucks where linnen is Plunged and Dipt: yet it is taken more largely, for any kinde of washing, rinsing, or cleansing, even where there is no Dipping at all, as Matth. 3. 11. & 20. 22. Mark 7. 4. & 10. 38. Luke 3. 16. Acts 1. 5. & 11. 16. 1 Cor. 10. 2.
Secondly, foreign. from whence Baptize is derived, signifieth as well to Die, Solinus 13. Varro refert in Baeo…ia st…men esse cujus haustu ov…llam pecus si fuscisit col…is vertitur in candidum.as to Dip: and it may be the holy Ghost, in the word Baptize, hath some reference to that signification, because by Baptisme we change our hiew; for as Varro reporteth of a river in Baeotia, that the water thereof turneth sheep of a dark or dun colour into white: so the sheep of Christ which are washed in the Font of Baptisme, by vertue of Christs promise, though before they were of never so dark, sad, or dirtie colour, yet in their souls become white and pure, and are as it were new died: therefore admitting that in the word Baptize there were something of foreign tingo, to Dip or Die; yet it will not follow, That it necessarily signifieth Dipping, for it may aswell imply this spirituall Die, to which no Dipping is necessary.
Secondly,Obj. 2. Matth. 3. 16. Acts 8. 38. they argue from the example of Christ, and Iohn, and of Philip, and the Eunuch: Iesus, say they, and Iohn went both into Iordan, and there Iohn Baptized Iesus, and likewise Philip and the Eunuch went both down into the water, and there Philip Baptized the Eunuch; therefore, say they, sprinkling, or washing with water will not suffice, but the parties that are to be baptized ought to go into the water, and there be Dipt over head and ears.
But we answer, First, an example of Christ, or his Apostles without a precept doth not necessarily binde the Church, as may be proved by many instances; for Christ washed his disciples feet before his supper, and he administred it at night, and to twelve men onelyonly, and no women: yet we are not bound so to do. In the Apostles dayes widows were maintained to serve the Church at the publike charge, yet we are not bound to have such. Likewise, the first Christians sold their possessions, and goods, and parted them to all men, and lived together, and had all things common, Acts 2. 44. yet are not we obliged so to do.
Secondly, The reason is not alike: at the beginning Christians had no Churches, nor Fonts in them, and therefore they were constrained to Baptize in such places where were store of waters:John 3. 23. Iohn Baptized in Aenon neer to Salem, because there was much water there. besides, the climat of Iudea is far better then ours, and men in riper yeers that were converted to the Christian Faith were Baptized in great multitudes, and they might without any danger go into the Rivers, and be Baptized after such a manner: but now the Gospel having been long planted in these parts, we have seldome any Baptized but children, who cannot without danger to their health be Dipt and plunged over head and ears in the Font, or Rivers, especially if they be infirm children, and the season very cold, and the air sharp and piercing.
Lastly,Obj. 3. They urge the custome of many ancient Churches, in which a three-fold Dipping was used: and if they Dipt those that were Baptized three times, it should seem they thought Dipping very necessary.
But we answere,Sol. First, that what those Ancients did, they had no precept for it: and if they follow some of the Ancients in Dipping the Baptized, why do they not follow the example of all the ancient Churches in Christening children?
Secondly, Those ancient Churches which used the trina imme…sio (they speak of) did it for this end, To expresse the three Persons, which may as well be done by thrice sprinkling, or washing the Baptized, as well as thrice Dipping. But the truth is, that neither is requisite, because the Trinity is sufficiently expressed in the very form of Baptisme, when the Minister saith, I Baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost.
Thirdly, We answer with the Apostle, That though some of the Ancients had such a custome for a time; yet now we have no such custome, neither the Churches of God, 1 Cor. 11. 16.
ARTICLE II.
Concerning the baptizing of children.
ANABAPTIST.
NOne ought to be Baptized but those that professe repentance and faith,Edward Barber, title-page. and consequently, no children ought to be Christened.
THE REFUTATION.
The children of such parents as professe Christian religion, and are members of the visible church, sith they are comprised within Gods covenant made to the faithfull children of Abraham and their seed, may, and ought to receive the seal of that covenant, which was Circumcision under the law; but now is Baptisme, which I prove.
ARGUMENT I.
That which extends to all nations, belongeth to children as well as men: for children are a great part, if not the half of all nations.
But Christs command of Baptizing extendeth to all nations, Matth. 28. 19. Go therefore teach all nations, baptizing them, and Mark 15. 16. Preach the Gospel to every creature: he that beleeveth and is baptized, shall be saved.
Ergo, Christs command of Baptizing belongeth to children, and they ought to be baptized as well as men.