Infant Baptism Gods Ordinance, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Shewing that the Doctrine of the Anabaptiſts, in excluding Infants from Baptiſm, and ſhutting them out of the viſible Church, makes all Infants to be of the viſible Kingdom of Satan, and ſo leaves us no well-grounded hope of the ſalvation of any dying in infancy; and is therefore to be juſtly abhorred as falſe Doctrine.
Argum. 1. THat Doctrine that makes all Infants to be of the viſible Kingdom of the Devil, is falſe Doctrine.
But to deny Infants Baptiſm, is to deny them to be of the viſible Church of Chriſt; and if they are not viſibly in the Church of Chriſt, they are viſibly out of it, and of the Kingdom of the Devil; there is no third or middle ſtate on Earth between the viſible Kingdom of Chriſt, which is his Church, and the Kingdom of the Devil; and all men and women, and Infants too, are viſible Members of the one or the other. If any know of any middle ſtate, let them ſhow it; Chriſt and Satan ſhare the whole world between them; and if Infants are not viſibly in the Kingdom of Chriſt, they are viſibly in the Kingdom of the Devil; the conſequence is unavoidable: what barbarous uſage is this to our poor Infants! Chriſt commands us to bring them to him, and tells us, of ſuch is the kingdom of God; and the Anabaptiſts perverſely thruſt them away from Chriſt, and from the Church of Chriſt, ſet them among Pagans and Infidels, who are of the Viſible Kingdom of the Devil.
Argument 2. That Doctrine that leaves us no well-grounded hope of the Salvation of any Infants dying in Infancy, is certainly falſe Doctrine: But the Anabaptiſts in denying Infant Baptiſm to the Seed of Believers, leave us no well-grounded hope of the Salvation of any ſuch dying in Infancy.
I do not ſay, That the Anabaptiſts do poſitively aſſert the Damnation of all Infants dying in Infancy, for they do the direct contrary, aſſert the certain Salvation of all Infants, even Turks, Pagans, and Jews.
But I ſay, they leave us no well-grounded hope of the Salvation of any ſuch; for if Infants ought not to be Baptized, then are they out of the Viſible Church; all who belong to the Viſible Church, have a right to Baptiſm; therefore in denying Infants Baptiſm, they throw them out of the Viſible Church: And let him ſhew, that can tell how, what grounds there are to hope, or expect, the Salvation of any out of the Viſible Church.
I grant a perſon may want the engaging Sign, and yet have a right to Church-memberſhip, yea, to Salvation; ſo an Elect Infant dying unbaptized is ſaved; though it have not the Sign, yet it had a right to it.
Now without a promiſe we can neither believe nor hope, Rom. 15.4, 13. Eph. 1.18. Eph. 4.4. Col. 1.5, 23, 27. Heb. 6.18, 19.
Again, ſuch as God intends to ſave, he adds to the Church, Acts 2.47. 'tis the Viſible Church there ſpoken of; and ſuch who are not ſo added, or have not a right to be ſo added, let them ſhew, that can, what ground there is to hope for their Salvation. And thus all well-grounded hope of the Salvation of any Infant dying in Infancy, is taken away by the Anabaptiſts.
For thus they argue from Mat. 28.18, 19. None but thoſe who are Taught, are Diſciples; Infants cannot be Taught, therefore are not Diſciples; and that this is the only way to make Church-members; and may we not on the ſame ground ſay, they cannot be ſaved becauſe they cannot believe? Mark 16.16. He that believes not, ſhall be damned. I appeal to all unbiaſſed perſons, whether there is not on their own bottom, the ſame reaſon to ſay, they are uncapable of Salvation, as of Baptiſm; but there is great reaſon to believe and hope for the Salvation of ſome Infants; for as we have ſhewed they are in the Covenant of Grace, Gen. 17.7. Acts 2.39. Deut. 29.10, 11, 12, 13. they are to be joined in ſtanding Church-ordinances, 2 Chron. 20.13. Joel 2.16. From all which, and much more might be ſaid, it's evident ſome Infants are Saved, though the Anabaptiſts by their erroneous Doctrine take away all well-grounded hope of the Salvation of any Infants dying in Infancy.