Truth and Peace, Chapter 7 – Conclusion
CHAP. VII. Anſwereth the Doctor's fifth and laſt Queſtion; Whether it be lawful to Communicate with Believers, who were only baptized in their Infancy? P. 72.
IN ſtating this Queſtion, the Doctor does little more than repeat what he ſaid upon the ſecond and third Queſtions, and grants, that the ſtating of this depends upon what he ſaid to them. And therefore what is ſaid in Anſwer to theſe Queſtions, is referr'd to in this place.
He tells us, p. 73. It never entred into the Heart of any of the Ancient Chriſtians, to refuſe Communion with grown Perſons who had been baptized in their Infancy. But the Queſtion is not ſo much what they did, as what ought to be done in this Caſe: Yet I muſt needs ſay, their Caſe and ours differ exceedingly, as I ſhewed in anſwer to the laſt Queſtion before this. They lived when an Error was but creeping in here and there; and it was not preſſed as neceſſary, till about the fourth Century; and ſo it may be there was no great Diviſion about it, tho it's more than the Doctor can be confident of. But we live in an Age, when Infants are not baptized, but rantized only; and the Churches allowing ſuch a practice, do not now, as then they did, conſiſt moſtly of Baptized Believers; but the Church the Doctor would have us communicate with, have not only no other Baptiſm but the ſprinkling of Babes; but have been very fierce againſt all that have oppoſed it, and aſſerted the Ancient Truth, even to the undoing of them, nay, to the deſtroying them from off the Earth; ſo that the Separation has been evidently occaſioned, by the unreaſonable and cruel proceedings of the Aſſertors of Infant-Baptiſm.
It is famous in the Writings of Learned Men, that the Donatiſts and Novatians denied Infant-Baptiſm, (tho ſome of them might permit it in danger of Death): And it's certain theſe Chriſtians were very conſiderable, both for Number and Piety, and were more diſliked by the other Party, for their ſtrictneſs about their Communion ordinarily, than for any thing of Hereſy they charg'd them with▪ But the Apoſtolici were more Ancient, and they are expreſly called Anabaptiſts by the Papiſts, becauſe they looked upon Infant-Baptiſm as ridiculous.
But now if the Doctor will have the Queſtion truly ſtated; as the Caſe is, in our Judgment and Conſcience, then it muſt be put into theſe Terms: Whether it be lawful for Baptized Believers to hold Communion with ſuch Chriſtians as they think are not baptized at all? And then the Doctor is a Perſon of that diſcretion, that he himſelf muſt acknowledg that it muſt be reſolved in the Negative, till he or ſome Body elſe do convince us, that the Church of England has ſome Baptiſm, either true eſſentially, or falſe in part and form only, which would alter the Caſe. But we do believe ſhe has none at all: So that Communion with her is more difficult. We cannot conceive how Infant Baptiſm ſhould be neceſſary by the preſumptive Will of Chriſt, as the Doctor phraſeth it. Such Language is very uncouth to us, and ſeems to open a Gap for Men to preſume the Will of Chriſt to be whatſoever they pleaſe, or what by Learning and Parts they can make a plauſible Diſcourſe for.
It is a weighty Conſideration, if it were true, That our Opinion does infer that there has been no true Church on Earth for 1100 Years, nor a Chruch for 1500, with whom a Chriſtian could Communicate without Sin. But this cannot be true; for tho Infant-Baptiſm was an Error (in our Judgment) ever ſince it had a being, yet there was always ſome Churches free of it, and thoſe we have taken notice of before to be many of the Greek Churches, as Learned Authors do confeſs, even ſuch as were themſelves for Infant-Baptiſm; and with them are to be reckoned (in this Queſtion) the Apoſtolici, Donatiſts, Novatians, and a great part of the Waldenſes, as is fully made manifeſt by Mr. Danvers and others, of which I ſhall here give a brief Account:
1. But firſt we muſt premiſe, That all the Churches mentioned in Scripture are ours, being baptized upon profeſſion of Repentance and Faith. No Man being able to this day to ſhew ſo much as one Infant was baptized in any one of the Churches mentioned in the Scriptures.
2. In the next Age to the Apoſtles▪ Juſtin Martyr gives this Account of the practice of the Churches; I will declare (ſaith he) how we offer up our ſelves to God—Thoſe amongſt us that are inſtructed in the Faith—being willing to live according to the ſame—are brought by us into the Water, and there, as we were new born, are they alſo by new Birth renewed—and then in calling upon God the Father, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and the Holy Spirit, they are waſhed in Water.
3. In the third Age, Mr. Baxter tells us out of Tertullian, Origen, and Cyprian; That in the Primitive Times none were baptized without an expreſs Covenanting, wherein they renounced the World, &c. and engaged themſelves to Chriſt.
4. In the fourth Age, Baſil ſaith, That none were to be baptized but Catechumens, and thoſe that were duly inſtructed in the Faith.
5. In the fifth Age, Chryſoſtom ſaith, The time of Grace or Converſion was the only ſit time for Baptiſm, which was the Seaſon in which the three thouſand in Acts 2. and others afterward were baptized.
6. The African Churches (commonly called Donatiſts) taught, That none ſhould be baptized, but thoſe that believed and deſired the ſame.
7. The Waldenſian Churches tell us; That by Baptiſm Believers were received into the Holy Congregation, there declaring their Faith, and amendement of Life.
8. The Churches in Germany own'd the ſame Faith and Practice.
9. The Churches in Helvetia aſſerted the ſame, and ſuffered for their Teſtimony.
10. The Bohemian Churches, by great Sufferings, bore witneſs to the ſame Truth.
11. The Churches in Theſſalonica did the ſame.
12. The Churches in Flanders ſuffered for the ſame cauſe.
13. The Hungarians did the ſame.
14. And ſo did the Churches in Theſſalonica.
15. The Churches of the Ancient Britains did the ſame, and died for their Teſtimony.
Here ſome will be ready to ſay, We value not Mr. Danvers, he was miſtaken in his Quotations. But let me reply; Would Men but impartially read his Defence, they would ſee cauſe to juſtify him from moſt of the Clamours which have been vented againſt him.
Neither do we cenſure good and pious Men in the darker Times above us, who perhapps had not opportunity, as we have, to ſee and avoid the Error; God Almighty indulging the overſights of his ſincere Ones in all Ages, as we truſt he will do ours in this; for ſome may yet come after us to reſtore ſome Truth which we have not minded, being ſo much buſied, both by Writing, Preaching, and Suffering, in defence of ſome particular Truths which are the Controverſy of our Age. And this was the Caſe of our worthy Predeceſſors, who were called to conteſt with the Spirit of Error. And we doubt not but all ſincere Chriſtians, who have not wilfully oppoſed themſelves to any Truth, ſhall find Mercy in the Day of Chriſt, and receive a Reward according to the Infinite Goodneſs of God, who will not ſuffer any to go without a Reward, who have been but ſo kind to any, becauſe they belonged to Chriſt, as to give them a Cup of cold Water to drink.
And in the mean time, I am for ſo much Communion with all Chriſtians, as will do them and my ſelf good. But ſeeing it is impoſſible for any to maintain full or ample Communion with all ſorts, profeſſing the Chriſtian Name at this Day; There is a neceſſity either for ſome powerful Party to kill all the reſt, that ſhe may be the only Church, or elſe Brotherly to agree to permit all to chuſe their Communion, where they can moſt comfortably enjoy it; and I heartily deſire that none for any cauſe but true inward Peace, would make uſe of this Liberty. But about this we have more fully treated in the fifth Chapter, that here we ſhall add no more at preſent, but ſhall conclude with our humble Requeſt to the Church of England, to conſider how great a Preſſure it muſt be upon our Conſcience, to break up our Aſſemblies, which we believe to be truly conſtituted Churches, and to unite with Hers, which we believe to be ſo defective in her Conſtitution, as to have no Baptiſm at all.
Now that the Baptiſm of Repentant Believers is of Heavenly Original, is granted on all hands, that it ſtands clear both in Scripture, and unqueſtionable Antiquity next to the Scripture, is altogether undeniable; and that this Baptiſm is to be continued to the end of the World, cannot be ſpoken againſt.
And on the other ſide, Does not even Mr. Baxter, and other Learned Aſſertors of Infant-Baptiſm, confeſs; 'tis a very difficult Point to prove by Scripture? And do not the Learned Papiſts, and ſome Learned Proteſtants, acknowledg there is no Scripture for Infant-Baptiſm? Neither Precept nor Practice in Scripture for Infant-Baptiſm? That it was brought in without the Commandment of Chriſt? That it is only a Church Rite, and not of Divine Inſtitution? Theſe Things cannot be hid from you, and therefore there is a neceſſity that ſome ſpeedy and prudent way be taken by the Church of England to reſtore this Holy Ordinance to its purity, in reſpect of the Subject to be baptized.
For though the Church of England does retain the Doctrine of Baptiſm, with reſpect to its precedency to other Ordinances, its Utility and Dignity in the Church of God; yet this is to little purpoſe ſtill, ſo long as another thing is ſubſtituted in the room of it, both in reſpect of the Subject and manner of Adminiſtration.
Concerning the latter, let the Church of England be intreated to conſider the Reflections which have been made upon this Alteration of Immerſion to Sprinkling, by the learned Boſſuet in his Book of Communion, &c. And the Conviction which ſome learned Proteſtants in France have lately met with upon that occaſion. I will ſet down the words of the learned Author who calls himſelf Anonymus, as they are tranſlated by Dr. Duveil upon the Acts of the Apoſtles, p. 292, 293.
It is moſt certain that Baptiſm hath not been adminiſtred hitherto, otherwiſe than by Sprinkling, by the moſt part of Proteſtants, but truly this Sprinkling is an Abuſe. This Cuſtom which without an accurate Examination, they have retained from the Romiſh Church, in like manner as many other things, makes their Baptiſm very defective, it corrupteth its Inſtitution and ancient uſe, and that nearneſs of Similitude, which is needful ſhould be betwixt it and Faith, Repentance, and Regeneration.
This Reflection of Mr. Boſſuit deſerveth to be ſeriouſly conſidered, to wit, that this uſe of plunging hath continued for the ſpace of a whole thouſand and three hundred Years; that hence we may underſtand, that we did not carefully, as was meet, examine things which we retained from the Roman Church; and therefore ſince the moſt learned Biſhops of that Church do teach us now that the Cuſtom eſtabliſhed by moſt grave Arguments, and ſo many Ages, was aboliſhed by her, this ſelf-ſame thing was very unjuſtly done by her, and that the Conſideration of our Duty doth require at our hands, that we ſeek again the primitive Cuſtom of the Church, and the Inſtitution of Chriſt.—Though therefore we ſhould yield to Mr. Boſſuet that we are convinced by the force of his Arguments, that the Nature and Subſtance of Baptiſm conſiſteth in Dipping, what may he hope for from us, but that the Profeſſors ſee themſelves obliged to him by no ſmall Favour, and thank him that he hath delivered us from Error, when we greatly erred in this thing?
And as we are reſolved indeed to correct and rectify this Error; ſo we deſire earneſtly with humble Prayer of him, that he would correct and amend that Error of taking away the Cup from the Laicks coming unto the holy Supper. Does Monſieur Boſſuet think that the Proteſtants will have a greater reſpect of that Cuſtom which they have ſound to be unlawful, and that by the moſt weighty and ſolid Arguments, than of the Inſtitution of Jeſus Chriſt, and that to let Rome get an opportunity of boldly and freely breaking the Laws of Chriſt, by the pernicious Imitation of our Example.
Far be that wicked frame of Mind from them: they are ſtraiter bound by the Authority of their holy Maſter, than to deſpiſe his Voice when his Sound cometh to their Ears, My Sheep hear my Voice; and again, I know my Sheep. None, except Wolves lurking under a Sheep-skin, refuſeth and turneth from it.—There is no Place therefore for cogging in theſe things, for thoſe that pretend the ſpecious Title of received Cuſtom for the Days Practice, when Jeſus and his Goſpel is not the Cuſtom, but the Truth. From the beginning it was not ſo, ſays the ſame Jeſus unto them, who did object unto him the worſt and curſed Cuſtom of their Anceſtors.
When we ſhall be preſented before the Judgment of Chriſt, he will not judg his Diſciples by Cuſtom, but by the lively and effectual Word of his Goſpel. Neither ſhould any be taken with a vain hope of framing an Excuſe from the Authority of the Church, becauſe all the Authority of the Church is from Chriſt granted unto her for that intent and purpoſe, that ſhe might procure a Religious Obedience to his Laws, and Heavenly Precepts, but not that ſhe might break, repeal and cancel them.—There is in the Church no more Power of changing the Rites in the Sacraments, than there is Power of changing his Word and Law, &c. Thus far the Learned and pious Proteſtant.
And ſhall the religious French Proteſtants be thus awakened and reſolved to correct and rectify this Error, by the Reflections made upon it by an Enemy; and ſhall the Engliſh Proteſtants add yet more Slumber, notwithſtanding they have not only the very ſame Alarm come amongſt them from the ſame Pen; but their own Learned Men who ſtand upon their Watch-towers, have given them notice of this Baptiſm-deſtroying Error. And beſides this, God has raiſed up Witneſſes for his Truth in this as well as other Particulars, who with great Learning and Judgment have ſhown the Beauty of this Inſtitution both by Doctrine, and by the Practice of it in the Royal City, and in moſt Parts of this Land, for many Years together; and yet the Church of England does not ſtir up her ſelf at all, to take hold of plain Truth in this matter.
And tho I am one of the leaſt of the Witneſſes which God has raiſed up in this Age and Nation in behalf of this Truth, yet I ſhall humbly crave leave to addreſs the Church of England after this friendly and free manner, as I did Mr. Boſſuet himſelf.
1. I beſeech her to conſider that ſhe has now to do with ſuch Chriſtians as are in good earneſt for the ancient Chriſtian Religion, as it was delivered by Chriſt and his Apoſtles; ſuch as would not have any Truth, delivered by Heavens Authority, to be neglected, nor in anywiſe to be corrupted by Innovation, Change or Alteration, but religiouſly obſerved and kept, according to the due Form and Power of Godlineſs.
2. As to the Caſe of Infant-Baptiſm, be pleaſed to conſider, that the Salvation of our Infants are as dear to us as yours can be to you, and therefore you have no reaſon to think that we would willingly omit any thing which God has appointed as a furtherance thereunto; and being, as all Men know, no leſs zealous for the Ordinance of Baptiſm than your ſelves, you may be confident we would by no means hinder its due extent, but promote it therein by all lawful means we are able.
3. That our Lord Jeſus has made Baptiſm neceſſary to the Salvation of Infants, is not revealed in the holy Scripture; nor that he has made it neceſſary for them at all; and therefore, as the African Council did ill to Anathematize thoſe that denied the firſt, ſo you have not done well to Anathematize ſuch as cannot in Conſcience bring their Infants to Baptiſm.
4. Let therefore our Brethren of the Church of England return to the Truth in the Caſe of holy Baptiſm, that we may return to her; for when it ſhall be ſo with her, ſhe will diſtinguiſh between the Precious and the Vile; yea that very Miniſtration rightly reſtored, will naturally lead to a far greater Purity in Church-Communion, than has hitherto been attained. But if ſhe will not be intreated to amend her Ways and her Doings, the Lord will plead the Cauſe of his neglected Truth and deſpiſed People.
The CONCLƲSION.
THE Doctor was pleaſed to reſerve ſome of our Objections▪ againſt the Paedobaptiſts for the Concluſion of his Book. Now the Reader does underſtand, that tho we ſhew like Arguments for Infant-Communion, as they bring for Infant-Baptiſm, both from Scripture and Antiquity, yet we do not therefore hold that they are to be brought to the holy Table of the Lord; but we do hereby ſhew that the Poedobaptiſt is not conſiſtent with himſelf, as for example:
This Doctor argues for Infant-Baptiſm from 1 Cor. 10. 2. that becauſe Infants paſſed through the Sea; and it's ſaid, All our Fathers were baptized unto Moſes in the Cloud and in the Sea, therefore Infants were baptized to Moſes, and conſequently ought to be baptized to Chriſt. Now to ſhew the Fallacy of this Argument, we ſay, All that are ſaid to be baptized, ver. 2. are alſo ſaid to eat and drink ſpiritually of Chriſt; ſo that this Scripture is as ſtrong for Infant-Communion, as for Infant-Baptiſm; tho in Truth it's no Rule for either. For how ſhould it follow, that becauſe God ſaved Iſrael miraculouſly from the Rage of Pharaoh, in the Cloud, and in the Red Sea, and fed them miraculouſly with Mannah and Water in the Wilderneſs; Therefore we are to baptize and communicate Infants. But we have ſhewed before that the Apoſtle does limit this Baptiſm, and feeding upon Chriſt, to thoſe of Underſtanding, [to wit, our Fathers] and ſo doth Auguſtine, ſpeaking of the latter in theſe words, Quicunque in Manna Chriſtum intellexerunt, eundem quem nos cibum ſpiritualem manducaverunt.
We ſhew alſo from this 1 Cor. 10. 17. that all that are baptized into one Body, are to partake of one Bread at the Lord's Table: and therefore it will follow that if Infants ought to be baptized into the Church Militant, they ought not to be denied the Bread and Cup in the Communion of that Body.
When they plead from Antiquity, &c. we ſhew them (and they know it) that near the ſecond or early Ages of the Goſpel, Infants were brought to the Lord's Table to communicate there, and that this Cuſtom continued 600 Years, yet it was laid aſide as unwarrantable, and we ſhew there is equal reaſon to lay aſide the Cuſtom of baptizing Infants. But we have more particularly ſhewed theſe things in our Animadverſions upon Dr. S. his Digreſſions about Infant-Baptiſm: Wherein alſo the Subſtance of this Book of the Caſe of Infant-Baptiſm, is redargued; and indeed this Book ſeems to have been added as an Enlargement upon thoſe ſhort Notes of Dr. Stillingfleet, though done perhaps by another Hand.
I ſhall therefore ſay no more at preſent to the Doctor's Concluſion, nor ſhall I take notice of Mr. Philpot's Dream; he was doubtleſs a good Man, yet that he did dream waking, as well as when aſleep, is evident enough to all that will conſider how extreme weakly he goes about to prove Infants to be Believers, &c. But let us not trouble the Dead, we ſhall ere long be with them, where all our Miſtakes will be made manifeſt, and all our unavoidable Infirmities will be pardoned. But if any Man ſin preſumptuouſly, the ſame reproacheth the Lord: And happy is the Man who ſincerely ſeeks for Truth, and faithfully walks up to his Light, tho through unavoidable Weakneſs he may err in many things. For our God knoweth our Frame, and whereof we are made, and remembers that we are but Duſt, and like as a Father pities his [willing tho weak] Son, even ſo the Lord pittieth them that fear him. To him therefore be Glory for ever.
Amen.