Infant Baptism Gods Ordinance, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Containing the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Arguments for Infant Baptiſm.
ARGUMENT III.
IF any Infants are Chriſt's Diſciples, then thoſe Infants ought to receive the Badg of a Diſciple, which is Baptiſm; But ſome Infants are Diſciples, Act. 15.10. Why lay you a yoke upon the necks of the diſciples. Now this Yoke was Circumciſion, as v. 1. and v. 5. There were ſome that would impoſe Circumciſion on the Diſciples of Chriſt. Now this muſt needs be underſtood of Infants as well as others, becauſe that Circumciſion was moſt commonly adminiſtred to Infants; Therefore if Infants are not only meant, they are chiefly intended; now that all Diſciples of Chriſt ought to be baptized; there is a plain command for it; and ſo a command for Infant Baptiſm, Matth. 28.19. Go therefore teach all nations; but in the Greek it is, foreign, Go diſciple all nations, baptizing them; Infants are Diſciples, as before, therefore ought to be baptized.
ARGUMENT IV.
If it hath been the conſtant cuſtom of the Church of Chriſt all along from the Apoſtles days to baptize Infants, none never denying It till ſome hundreds of years after; Then we may rationally conclude it was the practice of the Apoſtles to baptize Infants; but the former is true, therefore the latter.
Now that Infant Baptiſm was practiſed in the Primitive Times by the whole Univerſal Catholick Church, is evident.
Irenaeus, who had ſeen Policarpus, St. John's Diſciple, and therefore lived very near the Apoſtles days, ſaith, Chriſt came to ſave and ſanctify all ſorts; Qui per eum venaſcuntur in Deum Infantes, &c. All that are born to God, Infants, little ones, and Children— Born to God in the Eccleſiaſtical Phraſe, is but the ſame with Infant Baptiſm.
Tertullian, who lived about the Year of Redemption 200. moved ſome Scruples about Baptiſm, yet never denied the lawfulneſs of it: And in caſe that the Infant was in danger of death, did vehemently urge it.
Origen, who lived but little after him, ſpeaks again and again of the baptizing little Children, and ſaith, They received it by Tradition from the Apoſtles.
About 150 years after the death of St. John, there was one Fidus, who raiſed a doubt, Whether Infants might be baptized before they were eight days old, becauſe Circumciſion was not to be adminiſtred till then. Therefore Cyprian, Biſhop of Carthage, and 66 more, met to conſider this Caſe; and agreed, That Infants, recens nati, new born, might be baptized.
And thus we might cite Teſtimonies of Athanaſius, Chryſoſtom, Auguſtin, and many others, that it was the conſtant cuſtom of the Church to baptize Infants.
Which Cuſtom is ſtill continued in all the Churches of Chriſt all the world over; as appears in all the Confeſſions of all the Proteſtant Churches: As Helvetia, Bohemia, Belgia, Auſpurg, Saxony, Wittenberg, Swedeland, France and Peidmont; and Hiſtories tell us 'tis practiſed by the Ruſſians, Muſcovites, and all the Chriſtians in India, Syria, Cyprus, Meſopotamia, Babylon, Palaſtine; and in every part of the world where there be any Chriſtian Churches planted.
ARGUMENT V.
The Fifth Argument for Infant Baptiſm is this:
If the Infants of believing Parents be in the Covenant of Grace, and the Promiſe of the Covenant do belong to them; then they may, and ought to be baptized.
But ſuch Infants are in covenant, and the Promiſe of the Covenant doth belong to them, therefore they ought to be baptized.
That they are in covenant as well as their Parents, is undeniably evident from the tenure of that Covenant made with Abraham, which was a Goſpel-covenant, Gen. 17.7 as we have abundantly proved; and that the Promiſe of the Covenant is to them, is as evident, Act. 2.39. The promiſe is to you, and to your children; he means the Promiſe of God to Abraham; the Promiſe of Salvation by Chriſt, which was promiſed both to Jews and Gentiles; but to the Jews in the firſt place: Or ſuppoſe the Apoſtle hath reſpect unto Jer. 31.33, 34. or to Joel 2.28. it alters not the caſe, for thoſe were all branches of the Covenant of Grace, and Explications of what was virtually contained in that firſt Promiſe to Abraham, Gen. 17.7.
ARGUMENT VI.
The Sixth Argument for Infant Baptiſm is this:
If the Infants of one or both of the believing Parents be federally holy, then they ought to be baptized; but the former is true, therefore the latter, 1 Cor. 7.14. By the holineſs of Children there, is not meant Legitimacy; i.e. not Baſtards; ſo they would have been, if both the Parents had been Pagans.
Nor is it meant that they are ſavingly ſanctified, but federally holy; that is, in the Covenant of Grace; and ſo had an undeniable right to the Seal of the Covenant, which is Baptiſm.
ARGUMENT VII.
The Seventh Argument for Infant-Baptiſm is this:
If the Kingdom of Heaven belong to Infants, then they ought to be baptized; but the Kingdom of Heaven doth belong to ſome Infants, Matth. 19.14. Suffer little children to come to me, for of ſuch is the kingdom of heaven.
1. Suppoſe by the Kingdom of Heaven, is meant the Kingdom of Glory; little Children when they die ſhall go to Heaven; this ſenſe the Anabaptiſts cannot diſallow; for they ſay, all Children dying in infancy, are ſaved; the Infants of Turks, Pagans, Infidels, Papiſts, all ſorts: Then if they are Heirs of Glory, this muſt be by vertue of their intereſt in, and union with Chriſt; for there's no other way to Heaven, but by Jeſus Chriſt, John 14.6. I am the way, the truth, and the life; no coming unto the father but by me: There's no Name under Heaven, whereby we can be ſaved, but only Jeſus Chriſt. Now if Infants have a right to Glory by vertue of their union with, and intereſt in Chriſt, then have they a right to be baptized; if they have a right to Heaven by Chriſt, then to receive the Badge of a Diſciple of Chriſt, which is Baptiſm; no perſon can have any plea for Heaven, that had not a right to be baptized, Acts 2.47. The Lord added to the Church ſuch as ſhould be ſaved. This adding to the Church was by Baptiſm, v. 41. And let them ſhew that can, what right thoſe have to Heaven, that are not, or at leaſt have not a right to be ſo added to the viſible Church.
2. But by the Kingdom of Heaven is oft underſtood the Goſpel-Church: So Mat. 22.1.13.47.8.20, 21.11.12 and in moſt of our Saviour's Parables: And this is moſt likely to be the meaning of this Text, of ſuch is the kingdom of heaven; that is, the Goſpel-Church takes Infants as well as adult perſons to be viſible Members in it: And then the conſequence is unavoidable, The viſible Church and Kingdom of Chriſt is made up of Infants as well as adult perſons; Baptiſm is the Door into the viſible Church, therefore they muſt needs be baptized.
ARGUMENT VIII.
The Eighth Argument for Infant Baptiſm is this:
If Infants are to be received in the name of Chriſt, they are to be baptized in the name of Chriſt; but Infants are to be received in the name of Chriſt, Mark 9.36. Whoſo receiveth one ſuch child in my name, receiveth me; to receive them in the name of Chriſt, is to receive them as the Diſciples of Chriſt; or, becauſe they belong to Chriſt: And if they ought to be thus received in Chriſt's Name, as the Friends and Diſciples of Chriſt, then they ought to receive the Badge of a Diſciple, to have the name of Chriſt named over them in Baptiſm.
ARGUMENT IX.
If in our Saviour's time the Head and Maſter of a Family was never baptized, but his whole Family was baptized with him, then Children and Infants ought to be baptized, for they are a conſiderable part of Families.
But we never read of any Head or Maſter of a Family baptized, but his or their whole Houſhold were baptized with them; as is evident in Cornelius, Acts 10. and Lydia, and the Jailer, Acts 16. So 1 Cor. 1.14. &c.
Object. But there's no mention of any Infants in any of theſe Families.
Anſw. No more is there of any of riper years: And it's much more likely that there was Infants in thoſe Families, than otherwiſe; there is no mention in Scripture of Children of believing Parents baptized at adult age.
I ſhall multiply no more Arguments; by theſe the unprejudiced Reader will be abundantly ſatisfied, that Infant-Baptiſm is God's Ordinance.