The Ancient Way of Completing Church Members, To the reader 2
Chriſtian READER.
HEaring of the following Treatiſe to be in the Preſs, and being deſired to give my thoughts thereof, I have adventured, according to the cognizance had of it, to commend the main Contents, as uſeful to our preſent time. I had in my hand ſome moneths paſt, a few ſheets from the Author of the ſame Argument, which now, I hear, is grown into a greater volume: The matter aſſerted therein, was the due diſpoſition, growth and preparation of the Baptized unto Participation in the Lords Supper, collected from the Primitive doctrine of Chriſt and his Apoſtles, and teſtified by the concurrent votes of the Church in ſome ſucceeding ages. In which, more than Dogmatical Faith, and Negative holineſſe appeared to be requiſite unto worthy Communicants in thoſe times.
The proof of this, was the care taken of perſons Baptiſed in their minority, to nurture them up in the Faith, and orderly watching to the rule of Chriſt: And after due experience, Confirmation of them, and admittance to Communion in higher Myſteries.
This Confirmation or Approbation of the baptized being now adult, and making confeſſion of repentance towards God, & faith in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt is by ſome glorious lights in the Church underſtood in that phraſe of Impoſition of Hands annexed to Baptiſms,Hic unus locus abundè teſtaeur hujus Ceremoniae Originem fluxiſſe ab Apoſtolis, &c. Hic locus ad Paedobaptiſmi approbationem facit, &c. Calv. in Heb. 6.2. Heb. 6.2. Whence it is ſaid, That this One place doth abundantly teſtifie, that the Original of this Ceremony flowed from the Apoſtles, though afterward it was turned into Superſtition, as other of the beſt Ordinances of God. And again, That this place maketh to the proof of Infani-Baptiſm.
What grounding Infant-Baptiſm or Confirmation by Impoſition of hands have in this Scripture, I will not now diſpute? but unleſs there were more expreſs and firm ground for both, we might be at a loſs concerning theſe Ordinances. What if it ſhould be ſaid, That Jewiſh Baptiſms and Impoſition of hands are meant here by the Apoſtle writing to the Hebrews? and that theſe among them did teach Repentance from dead works, and Faith in God, and the Reſurrection of the dead, and Eternal Judgment?
All this is truth: Theſe were among the reſt of the Jewiſh Rites, the very Principles & Fundamental Elements which taught Chriſt, though moſt of them were dull of hearing, and did not underſtand him by them.
But let this paſs; As to the Initiation of Church-Infants, we have a ſure word of Covenant that cannot be broken. And that this muſt be done by Baptiſm, muſt be granted, or elſe another way diſcovered. And as for the Confirmation of them ſolemnly by prayer and acceptance to Communion, after their parental nurture in the Elements of Religion, and experience of their profiting in faith and godlyneſſe by Eccleſiaſtical inſtitution; the Author in this Treatiſe, I hope, will give ſufficient proof.
The abuſe of this by Popiſh Blaſphemies, and Prelatical Corruptions cannot be denied, ſo that it hath been odious and ridiculous; but to reſtore it to Primitive purity, in looking more exactly to the education of Infants in the Church, and nurturing them according to their capacities, and at length approving and eſtabliſhing them in the truth of the Goſpel, cannot but be judged rational and Chriſtian, if wee take theſe Conſiderations.
1. That the Light of Nature guideth, as to help children according to capacity, to natural perfections, ſo to know above all the God of their Natures: It is an opinion worſe than Brutiſh not to ſeaſon that tender age with ſome things of God, as it can receive them. It is not taking Gods Name in vain, reaſonably to make him known to the weakeſt underſtanding that it may grow therein.
2. That the Ordinance of God in the Old Church for the appearing of the Males before him three times at leaſt in the year, was to nurture them and bring them to more acquaintance with God, and Confirm them in his Truth. And is there not need to keep Analogie, with that for perfecting Souls toward God under the Goſpel?
3. That the many Exhortations in the Goſpel for watching over the Flock, to feed the lambs, to perfect, to ſtabliſh Souls in the truth, cannot but imply the neceſſity and uſefulneſs of ſuch a practice in the Church for the nurturing of tender ages, and at laſt Confirming them in Chriſt. To the edifying whereof, I am confident the Author hath his main ſcope, and I ſhall pray he may not miſs of his aim. The Lord own that which is his in the Work, and make it proſper. In him I am,
Plymoth, Aug. 10. 1657. Thine to ſerve thee, G. HUGHES.