Scripture Warrant Sufficient Proof for Infant Baptism, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
HAving done with my first Question, you say, Let us hear your second Question; you shall Mr. Grantham, 'tis this.
Q. If God hath repealed his Covenant with the believing Jews seed, turned their Children out of the Church, and deny them Baptism, though the Jews truly believe in Christ come; What hath God left in the room of these, that carry any shew of his Blessing, or good will towards their Children during their Infant-state?
Here you tell your Reader, there is Ambiguity in the Words, Covenant and Church: None at all, Mr. Grantham, you know the Covenant, and what the Church of the Jews was. You say, That I yield they were in the Covenant, and Church-members, before they were Circumcised: Very true, I hope we do not set our Seals before our Covenants; first Covenant, then Seal. Also, if they were not Members of the Church, they should not have the Priviledge of the Church; only their Membership is Compleated and Declared, when the Initiating Seal is applyed to them. As it is in Corporations, the eldest Son of a Free-man, born in the Corporation, was a Member, and had a right to Freedom, but not compleat, nor acted till he took his Oath; so the High Priest, Levit. 4.3. was not a compleat High Priest, till he was Anointed.
Then you come to tell me, what Priviledges the Jews Infants have now.
(1.) They were free from their Jewish Churchstate, Gal. 5.1.
A. 1. What is this to the Infant that understands nothing of it, but was in as safe an Estate before, yea, and better? that Freedom is nothing to it while an Infant.
A. 2. And they were free from Abraham's Covenant, That God was now none of their God, and also from a Seal of that Covenant: This is a Priviledge with a witness; do you and yours take it for me and mine. O wretched Priviledge! Do you call this Freedom?
(2.) They are devoted to God, by the Prayers of the Church; warranted therein by the example of Christ, when little Children were brought to him, — And accordingly we dedicate them to God, according to our Capacity.
A. 1. If Praying for Children be a Dedication of them, then almost fifty years I have been Dedicating of Children to God; but I read of no Dedication that lasted one Month together in the Word. What, are you the People that only Devote and Dedicate your Children to God? I hope others as well as you, Pray and Fast for them as well as you. Do you think that Abraham, and those Holy Men of old did not pray for their Children, as well as Circumcise them? A pitiful answer.
2. As for the example of Christ, it seems he will bless them; and blessed be his name he will do it. But one thing here, Mr. Grantham, I must put you in mind of, which I forgot, when you answered my first Question; Viz. Christ did not appoint those very Infants who were brought to him, to have his Ordinances imposed upon them, say you.
A. Very true, Mr. Grantham, because they were under Ordinances already; these were Jews Children, not Gentiles, he was not sent to them as yet, nor must his Apostles go among them yet: As for Christian Baptism it was not yet instituted, and would you have him impose it before the institution.
3. You tell me, by the Blessing of Education, some Children of 7. or 8. years old, have attained to more knowledge, and experience of the Work of Grace, who yet were never sprinckled, than multitudes of 70, or 80 years who were sprinkled.
Ans. As for your word sprinkling, I will talk with you anon.
1. And of those Children who were circumcised, multitudes of them, thô they attained not to such a knowledge of Christ; (he was not then so clearly revealed to their Fathers) yet for Knowledge and saving Grace, they had it as early as yours every whit; for all that we read of, that were godly in Scripture, were so from their Childhood; we read only of Manasseh, that was converted when Adult. So among us, many Infants baptized, before and since your Errour rose up to trouble the peace of the Churches, and to be an inlet to other Errours; I say many Instances might be given of Children that before the age you mention, have discovered the sparklings of Grace. Old Mr. Blackerby that man of God, when he preached the Funeral Sermon for his own Daughter, Mr. Faircloughs first Wife, gave this Testimony of her, That from three years old, she did sincerely fear God. A Child of four years old of a Neighbour by me, when it went to School to learn its letters, when it came from School, would often go to the Father with these words, Father, I Love God, I love my Father, I love my Mother; but always first, I love God; the Child falls sick, the Mother asked it, Art willing to dye? Yes, said the Child, I will go lye in Abrahams bosom. A Minister dining there, and returning thanks after dinner, the Child lying in the Cradle by, of its own accord lifted up its hands, while he was speaking, when he had done, let fall its hands and died. You that tell us, God does not circumcise the Hearts of Children, because they cannot love him: God confutes you.
2. I deny not but God doth overlook the Infirmities of his People, and his Grace is Free, and so works in what Children he please.
3. But still you declare a slighting of the Grace of God in that Covenant of God with Abraham and his Seed, which we do reverence, and bless his Name for; you take away that which is comfortable to godly Parents, and to poor Children be sure a great advantage; reducing the Children of the soundest believing Jews, into the same state with their Children who are the haters of Christ at this day.
(3.) The third Priviledge you tell me, is this, Our gracious God by Jesus Christ hath left us an open Declaration, that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to Infants; in which Declaration he hath not excepted so much as one of them.
A. 1. What is this to the Infant state of the believing Jew, when as the Jew that hates Christ at this day may say, This is as much Comfort to me; thô I hate and abhor to believe in your Messiah, and my Child is in as hopeful state as yours: yea so are all Pagans and Mahumetans.
2. What, doth our Lord d…are, That all the Infants of the World dying such, are members of the Kingdom of Glory? It is not all one to say, the Kingdom of Heaven consists, as of Adult Persons, so, of little Infants; and to say, All Infants are members of the Kingdom of Heaven; these two Propositions differ, Mr. Grantham.
3. If it be true, it was true before God Covenanted with Abraham to be the God of his Seed; surely there was some benefit to Abrahams Seed, more than was in that Covenant you talk of, else the Covenant was in vain. Did God say to Adam, I am the God of thee and thy Seed, and I will Seal my Covenant with thee, and thy Seed?
4. What Comfort is this to the Seed of a believing Jew, when grown up, and hath the Sense of Sin and Apprehensions of the anger of God against him? Comfort? O what a Torment doth this prove to think, When I was an Infant if I had died, I had been saved: O that I had died then, but now I am grown up I shall be damned! so that 'tis a great misery to mankind, that God lets them live beyond the state of Infants; for let them dye while Infants they are all saved, and what Parent that wisheth the happiness of Children, would not say, Let all my Children dye while they are Infants, for then they are Innocent; if Mr. Granthams Doctrine be true; they should never sin against God, and certainly be saved. But the Child of a Believing Jew grown up, and his Conscience awakened, now repenting hath a God in Covenant with him by Abrahams Covenant, to lay hold upon. Only Mr. Granthams Wisdom scoffs at it.
These be your privileges; and now you adde, From all which you may see, God hath left us in the room of Circumcision (and of the Covenant of being their God; why is this left out and Circumcision onelyonly put in? This is Taylour-like indeed, when they carry home a Garment, and stolen out cloath, that is kept behind. So you are summing up your discourse, and tell your Reader of a Legal Rite, and keep back the Covenant, the main of all, this is base Theft indeed:) a far more excellent Testimony of his saving Pleasure concerning Infants, than that was or any legal Rite whatsoever.
And I say, by all which your Reader, if he be not blind, may see, how you labour to delude your silly People with words; pretending to shew your great learning in answering my two unlearned Questions, when as they stand unanswered; and I doubt not but the Seed of a believing Jew in Christ may well say, If this be all we get by our Parents believing in Christ come, which this Anabaptist talks of, give us the old Dispensation again: When we had a God in Covenant to go too, and a Seal of his Covenant to help our Faith; for now we have neither, and so our state is more miserable by Christs coming than it was before.
As for your Book of your Anti-Quaeries, to which you refer me; I will not give so much as a small Needle for it, I have enough of you, by what I read in this.
As for Bishop Barlow, if he be of your Judgment, as you present him, yet I Question whether he be Dipt: Ask him I pray, and bid him not reject the Counsel of God against himself, as you tell me I do.