Light Broke Forth in Wales Expelling Darkness, Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
Shewing that Infant Baptiſm is no excellent way or means to plant the Chriſtian Religion, but a ſinful thing; and therefore in oppoſition to what Mr. James Owen ſaith, They ought not to be baptized: being an Anſwer to what he hath wrote in his 15th Chapter, and twelfth and laſt Argument.
YOU ſay, Infant Baptiſm is an excellent means which God hath ordained for to plant and continue the Church of God: Chriſt thus commanded his Apoſtles to gather Churches among the Gentiles, by teaching and baptizing them in the Name of the Father, &c. Mat. 28. 29.
Anſw. I anſwer: The way it appears that Chriſt commanded his Apoſtles to gather Churches among the Gentiles, is firſt to teach them, and then baptize them; you ſay right whilſt you repeat the Text, but God hath not commanded to baptize Infants, and that way to plant his Church.
You add, It is an excellent means for this end, making Children to be Diſciples of Chriſt; let none marvel at this, becauſe Infants are of the number of Diſciples: Acts 15. 11. Why tempt ye God, to put a yoke on the necks of the Diſciples? Thoſe Diſciples were, ſay you, the Faithful and their Seed.
Anſw. This is not true: The Diſciples, in the Text you cite, refer only to Believers among the Gentiles; thoſe falſe Teachers would have the Brethren be circumciſed, and they were they only that are called Diſciples.
Theſe Brethren being Gentiles, were never circumciſed; and therefore theſe falſe Teachers taught them ſo to be, ſee Acts 15. 1.
2. Sir, I will appeal to your Conſcience in this matter, Is not a Diſciple one that is taught or inſtructed, and can Infants be called Diſciples, who are not capable of being taught?
Mr. Baxter ſaith, Such that are made Diſciples by teaching, are the Subjects of Baptiſm according to the Commiſſion; and he is in the right.
3. Doth the baptizing of Infants make them Diſciples? Doth Chriſt ſay baptize, and ſo make them Diſciples? Or is it not, make Diſciples, and baptize them? Mathetuſate, diſciplize, and then it follows, baptize them.
You ſay, Chriſt knoweth how to adminiſter a ſecret Doctrine to Infants, according to his promiſe, Thy Children ſhall be all taught of the Lord.
Anſw. 1. No doubt but Chriſt is able to do it: But doth he in a ſecret way adminiſter Inſtruction to Infants? prove it, and alſo how you come to know it; for they muſt be known Diſciples, viſible Diſciples that are to be baptized.
2. Are they little Infants that Promiſe refers to, i. e. Thy Children ſhall be all taught of God? They are Sion's Children, or ſuch that are born of God that are under that Promiſe, not Infants, or our Children as ſuch; for are all Believers natural Offſpring taught of God when Babes, (or adult either?) O abominable abuſe of the holy Text!
Baptiſm (ſay you) ſetteth little Children under a particular obligation to be the Lord's; doubtleſs they can receive ſuch an obligation now as formerly they did, Deut. 29. 11, 12. And it is as certain that this Bond is a great advantage to make them willing when they come to age, God hath preſented them by the Grace of his Covenant, &c.
Anſw. 1. 'Tis you pretend to lay them under an obligation, but not by Chriſt's authority, prove he hath commanded you ſo to do.
2. Doth Baptiſm confer Grace? you ſeem to aſſert this, for elſe how hath God by Baptiſm prevented them? Your ſprinkling them with water doth not, cannot prevent them. I affirm therefore 'tis an obligation of man's deviſing, for you cannot prove it is of God's appointment; therefore to refuſe to bring them under ſuch an obligation is no fantaſtick thing, as you intimate it is. You ſay the mark of the Spirit is upon them.
Anſw. Baptiſm is no mark of the Spirit to any but to ſuch who have the Spirit; and what a Mock-Baptiſm is it to give the Sign, where appears no demonſtration of the thing thereby ſignified?
(You ſay) on the other ſide, Satan hath not ſuch an advantage againſt thoſe that are baptized in their Infancy.
Anſw. How doth it appear that Satan hath not ſuch an advantage againſt your Children (as he hath againſt ours that were never baptized, as you call Rantiſm) I am ſure our Children generally are as ſober, and helped to eſcape Satan's ſnares as far forth as yours generally are. VVill God own or bleſs an humane Tradition? The Woman that Luther mentioned, no doubt might think ſhe was obliged to fear God by that ſort of Baptiſm ſhe had when ſhe was an Infant, yet God never obliged her to come under that obligation, but may be ſhe was baptized when a Believer.
However the Papiſts may argue for their voluntary Vows after the ſame manner, viz. it is a great help and an advantage to them to preſerve them from ſin, and temptations of the Devil.
Infant-Baptiſm is an excellent means (you ſay) to plant the true Religion, and to continue the Church, by giving an advantage for the Miniſters of the Goſpel to reaſon with ſuch when they come to age, far better than they can with thoſe that are not baptized, that they might call them to remembrance of their baptiſmal Vow, &c.
Anſw. This is certainly a grand miſtake; for inſtead of its being an advantage to Miniſters to reaſon with ſuch that were baptized in their Infancy, to remember their baptiſmal Vow, and ſo to believe and turn to God, 'tis apparent it may …inder them; for if thoſe perſons when grown up, do call to remembrance what you Pedobaptiſts have taught and told them, touching thoſe Bleſſings and Privileges they then received, it may rather take them off from ſeeking after either Faith or Repentance.
1. For you tell them when their Parents believed, and were ſaved, they were made partakers of the ſame Privilege and Bleſſing alſo; if ſo, what need they concern themſelves about getting perſonal Faith? you believe and teach them the Doctrine of final Perſeverance; no doubt ſuch who are in a ſtate of Grace, can never finally fall out of it.
2. The Obligation and Vow that lies upon baptized perſons according to the Scripture, is not that they ſeek after Regeneration, no, for it neceſſarily ſuppoſeth that they had that before baptized; but it doth bind or oblige them to perſevere in Holineſs, that as they have been buried in Baptiſm, as perſons dead to ſin, ſo they ſhould walk in newneſs of life, Rom. 6. 3, 4. Now you would have your Baptiſm to oblige your baptized Children to become dead to ſin, they were not it appears dead when buried with Chriſt in Baptiſm, but you bury them alive, (if you baptized them.) To ſhew them they muſt die, Sir, God never ordained Baptiſm to ſuch an end, or to oblige perſons thus to do, ſee Rom. 6. 3. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Col. 1. 12, 13.
3. The Church of England ſaith, That the Child which they baptize is thereby (that is in Baptiſm) regenerated, and made a Child of God, a Member of Chriſt, and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven. And what you ſay implies as much; for it muſt needs be thus, if when the Parents believe and are regenerated and ſaved, the Child partakes of the ſame privilege, then the Child believed and was regenerated, and ſaved alſo. Now if this be ſo, what advantage can Miniſters have from the Conſideration of Infants Baptiſm to preſs Regeneration, or the Performance of Repentance upon them when they come to age, above what we have to preſs theſe great Duties upon our Children, when grown up that never were baptized? What need is there to preſs that on the Conſciences of your Children when they come to age, which they had wrought in them when they were in their Infancy? No, your Work is rather to preſs them as Saints and renewed Perſons, to live holy Lives, and improve thoſe Divine Habits which they received when their Parents believed, or thoſe inſpired Habits that were plauted in their Souls, when in Infancy they were baptized and regenerated.
4. Certainly your Children when they come to age may think that they received ſome mighty Privilege in their Infancy, by being in the Covenant of Grace with their Parents, and ſo in a State ſafe enough; for you tell them there is no final Falling from a State of true Grace. We and you too know that, and declare that the Covenant of Grace is ſure to all the true Seed or Spiritual Seed of Abraham: of which Seed you declare all your natural Off-ſpring as ſuch are a part. This being ſo, it is evident that Miniſters have no Advantages; but the contrary, in preſſing the neceſſity of Repentance and Converſion on your Children when at age, we have the greater advantage far in preaching to our Sons and Daughters, who tell them that our Faith did not, cannot profit them, or ſave them, no, but that they were born in ſin, and were Children of Wrath by Nature, and ſo remain till true actual Faith and Regeneration do paſs upon them, or they do believe in Chriſt.
5. Beſides, the Baptiſmal Vow you brought them under being not by God's Appointment, what Bleſſing can you expect from thence? Will God own and bleſs a voluntary Vow, or approve of an Humane Tradition?
6. The Papiſts (as I hinted before) may expect as well, and from as good Ground and Authority, as great advantage to preſs Holineſs and Chaſtity upon thoſe that they bring under their voluntary Vows and Covenants in their Nunneries and Fryaries.
7. Beſides, your Children entred not into that Baptiſmal-Covenant you talk of by their own conſent; they knew nothing of it, and can find no Authority from God's Word you had to bring them under it; and therefore what power is that like to have upon their Conſciences? Had you not better bring them under a ſolemn Vow to become good, and to repent as ſoon as they come to age; nay, bring them under an Oath, or cauſe them to enter into a ſolemn Covenant ſo to do, and ſet their Hands unto it? But you will ſay, you have no Command nor Warrant from God's Word to do that; no more, ſay we, have you any Command or Warrant from the Word of God to bring them under any ſuch Baptiſmal Vow, …o forſake Sin, the Devil, and all his Works, &c. in their Infancy.
Infant-Baptiſm is ſo effectual to continue the true Religion, and the Encreaſe of the Church of God at this time, as Circumciſion formerly had been: It pleaſed God to continue true Religion among the Jews by bringing their Children under the Bond of the Covenant: He left them not to their own liberty, &c. and let none take upon them to be wiſer than God by leaving Children at this time to follow their own Fancies, to chooſe their own Religion, without having God's Covenant upon them, for Humane Nature is as corruptible at this time as formercy, &c.
Anſw. 1. I anſwer; Circumciſion was God's abſolute and poſitive Command in the Jewiſh Church, which was national; but God hath not commanded Infants to be baptized into the Goſpel-Church which is not National, but Congregational: if therefore there was the like Authority from God for the one as there was for the other, we would contend with you no longer.
2. 'Tis you that would ſeem wiſer than God, whoſe Wiſdom hath not led him to erect his Goſpel Church of ſuch Materials, or of ſuch Matter, and in ſuch Form now, as it was his Wiſdom to build the Jewiſh or Legal Church: Muſt the fleſhly Seed as ſuch be taken into the Goſpel-Church by Baptiſm, becauſe the Male-Infants were circumciſed under the Law? Who tells you ſo? where is it written? Will you be wiſer than God? Did not John Baptiſt ſay, Think not to ſay within your ſelves we have Abraham to our Father? Now the Ax is laid to the Root of the Tree. Now the caſe is altered, as if he ſhould ſay; Now we know no Man after the Fleſh, 2 Cor. 5. 17, 18.
3. Hath not God freely left us and our Children to chooſe to be his Servants, or to chooſe our Religion? Are not the Saints to be all Volunteers? Will Chriſt accept of Preſt-Souldiers into his Service? Or have you any power to force, or compel your Children to be of what Perſwaſion in Religion you pleaſe? God, it is true, hath no more left Children now than formerly, to follow their own Fancies; no, God forbid: But he hath commanded them to believe and be baptized; and not to follow the Fancies of their Parents any more than to follow their own Fancies, nor Miniſters who teach them contrary Doctrine to that which the Word of God doth.
4. As to the Corruption of our Nature, 'tis true that is as bad as ever; but your Sprinkling your Children in Infancy hath no Virtue or Power in it to change or purge out that Corruption; your Children receive no benefit by that you call Baptiſm: Say what you will, I am ſure you cannot prove they receive any profit thereby.
5. I affirm God hath not commanded us to bring our Children into the Bond of the Covenant by Baptiſm until they believe, and you can never diſprove us while you live from God's Word.
You ſay, the Lord hath bleſſed the Baptiſm of Infants to be a Means for the continuing of the true Religion, and of the Chriſtian Church: From the days of the Apoſtles even to this very day, the Lord beſtoweth his particular Bleſſings but upon his own Ordinance; he imprinteth not the Seal of Heaven upon earthly Inventions; none can deny but that there are thouſands baptized in their Infancy that feel in themſelves the Virtue of their Baptiſm.
Anſw. 1. I anſwer; You cannot prove that God hath any manner of ways owned or bleſſed Infant-Baptiſm: for becauſe God hath continued a Seed to ſerve him in every Age ſince the Apoſtles time, will you attribute that to Infant-Baptiſm, which is only to be aſcribed to the rich and ſoveraign Grace of God, and Power of his Spirit?
2. As to the true Church, for many years ſhe was hid, and in the Wilderneſs ſhe fled from the face of the Romiſh Beaſt and cruel Dragon, Rev. 12. I muſt confeſs Infant-Baptiſm hath in part been a means to keep up the name of the Chriſtian Religion in the Church ever ſince the Apoſtacy; and it was contrived no doubt to make the Church great and large, i. e. to make whole Families, Pariſhes, and Nations the Church, this is evident; and if this be the way to continue and enlarge the Church, the Lord deliver the true Church from ſuch a Practice and Invention of Men.
I look upon Infant-Baptiſm to be one of the chief Pillars of the Romiſh Church, and of all National Churches and Conſtitutions in the European World; this is that Chriſtendom that is ſo cried up, and the way of making and continuing the pretended Chriſtian-Name; in the Anti-chriſtian Church, and World, all are made Chriſtians in their Infant-Baptiſm: And thus the Inhabitants of the Earth are cheated, and deluded with a Shadow and empty Name that ſignifies nothing, and certain I am, until Chriſtendom (as it is called) is Unchriſtianed of this pretended Rite, or Chriſtendom, and the Inhabitants of the Earth become new Chriſtianed, there will never be a thorough Reformation: I mean until they ſee that Chriſtianity, or Chriſtian-Name, which they received by their Infant-Baptiſm, ſignifies nothing, but throw it away as an Human Innovation, and labour after true Regeneration, or a likeneſs to Chriſt, and ſo believe and are baptized upon the profeſſion of their Faith, according as in the Apoſtolical Primitive Church: 'Tis Infant-Baptiſm that tends to uphold all National Churches, and deceives poor People who think they were thereby made Chriſtians.
3. Doth it follow, becauſe many Thouſands that were baptized (as you call it) when Infants, were after they come to Age truly converted? That that bleſſed work of Grace upon their Hearts was by virtue of their Infant-Baptiſm, or from any Motive that aroſe from thence? Or was it not wholly done by the Power of God's Word preached to them, through the mighty Power and Operations of the Holy Ghoſt upon their Souls? God hath ſhewed his Mercy, I grant, to ſuch Chriſtians who were Rantized or Sprinkled, in Infancy, in a gracious manner: But this is not to be aſcribed to his owning and bleſſing that Invention of Pedo-Baptiſm; be ſure God will never own as you well ſay, an Earthly Invention; and I have clearly proved that Infant-Baptiſm is nothing leſs or more than an Earthly or Human Invention, therefore God never bleſſed that. O how few are converted or truly regenerated that have in their Infancy been (as you ſay) baptized, nay of the Seed of the Faithful! What a Multitude remain ungodly, and ſo live and die, notwithſtanding their Parents Faith, and their Reception of their Infant-Baptiſm! The Lord open the Eyes of you Worthy and Noble Britains, and ſend true Light among you as to this matter.
Infant-Baptiſm prevents (Mr. Owea ſaith) the ſhameful Neglect of Baptiſm: if Children had been left unbaptized, it would be ſo difficult to perſuade many good People to receive Baptiſm, as at this Time 'tis to perſuade them to receive the Lord's Supper. The Nature of Man is very unwilling to undergo narrow and ſpiritual Obligation: We read in the Hiſtory of the Primitive Church that ſeveral good Men, that turned from Paganiſm, delayed their Baptiſm until their Latter Days.
Conſtantine being very Aged before he was Baptiſed, and fallen into a Diſeaſe of which he died.
Theodoſius was not baptized until he was fallen ſick, as Socrates, p. 5. 6. And we are not to think (ſay you) that People would be more ready to receive Baptiſm in theſe Days, than they had been in thoſe that are paſt.
1 Anſw. I Anſwer; it is a ſhameful thing indeed to ſee how many good People do neglect Chriſt's Holy Ordinance of Baptiſm; and to ſee how difficult 'tis to perſuade them, tho' they do truly believe, to be baptiſed, and ſo orderly come to the Lord's Table: But what is the reaſon of it? is it not becauſe you, and ſuch as you, have ſtrove to deceive them, and blind their Eyes, by telling them that Sprinkling or Rantiſm, is Baptiſm or Baptizing, and that they were baptized in their Infancy? they are, alas, too ready to build their Faith herein upon their Teachers; The Teachers of my People (ſaith the Lord) cauſe them to err: And (ſay they) ſuch a learned Man, ſuch a worthy Doctor and Miniſter is for Infant-Baptiſm; Can they be miſtaken? Sure, if it were an Error, they muſt needs know it.
2. 'Tis not very hard to perſuade our Children, when God converts them, to be baptized; they readily ſubmit to it; and, until then, they have no more right to Baptiſm than they have to the Lord's Supper.
3. Will you to anticipate your Children, in fear they will not be baptized when they come to Age, contrary to the Word of God, baptize them when in their Infancy? I muſt tell you by the ſame parity of Reaſon, ſince ſome of them you find are ſo hard to be perſuaded to receive the Lord's Supper, you may (as the Antient Fathers did) give them the Lord's Supper in their Infancy alſo; you have as much Authority for to do the one as the other.
4. Do you not implicitly on this Occaſion grant and confeſs, that Baptiſm of Right belongs to the Adult; but that politically it hath been contrived to baptize Infants, for fear they ſhould not be perſuaded to be baptized when they come to Age? And you are willing to continue the Practice, becauſe it is in theſe Days by you and your Brethren rendered to be a very odious thing to be dipped or baptized when they come to Age and do believe. The Truth is, this Ordinance calls for great Abaſement, and much Self-denial; 'tis a hard thing to come under the Baptiſmal Covenant and Obligation, in Adult Perſons, when we are rendered as bad as Adulterers and Murderers who baptize Men and VVomen according to Chriſt's Commiſſion that are Diſciples. And 'tis hard alſo when the baptized Perſon knows (he being come to Underſtanding) what he is bound and obliged to do by his Baptiſmal Covenant, viz. to mortify the Remainders of Sin, and to walk in Newneſs of Life, Rom 6. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Therefore ſince you fear they will not freely and voluntarily liſt themſelves under Chriſt's Banner, or become his Spiritual Souldiers when they come to Age; you will, and that unknown to them, force them into theſe VVars in their Infancy without Chriſt's Authority or their Conſent, under this ſpecious Pretence, viz. you fear they will not do it when they are grown up.
5. What you ſpeak concerning thoſe Chriſtians, who in the Primitive Times delayed their Baptiſm until the latter part of their Lives, makes directly againſt you; for thoſe Chriſtians who were converted from Paganiſm to Chriſtianity, did not only delay their Baptiſm, but many Godly Chriſtian Parents, I have ſhewed, in the laſt Chapter, did delay the baptizing of their Children until they came to Age and did believe: And the Error of that long Delay aroſe from that great Miſtake that Baptiſm waſhed away Sin; therefore ſome delayed Baptiſm until ſuch time they thought they were ready to go out of the World.
6. But what of this? Becauſe ſome have erred, in ſtaying too long before they were baptized, Will you make too great haſte, and bring in little Babes to be baptized, without any Ground or Authority from the Word of God? So much ſhall ſuffice to your Twelfth and Laſt Argument.
Now, Sir, we have heard all your Proofs for the baptizing of Infants; you have, it ſeems, impannell'd for your Jury, to Sit, Hear and Determine this Grand Cauſe, Juſt Twelve; and if they could ſpeak, they would (being all agreed, the Cauſe being alſo fully opened) give their Verdict on our Side, and againſt your Infant-Baptiſm; but let them rather be ſo many Witneſſes of your ſummoning the Statute Book, and great Charter of the Church, viz. God's Word, having been opened, ☞and the Matter cleared. We will appeal now to our worthy Reader, particularly to the Antient and Noble Britains, to make Judgment for themſelves: For in matters of Faith, and Things that concern our Souls, every Chriſtian is to judg for himſelf.
Impartial Reader, weigh well the matter: Conſider this, we muſt all be judged by the VVord of God: If you can find you are commanded to baptize your Children by Jeſus Chriſt in the New Teſtament, or can find any Precept or Precedent for it, you may do it: Or if what Mr. Owen hath ſaid hath convinced you, that Baptiſm doth not belong to Believers, by good Authority he hath ſhewed from the Holy Scriptures, but that Infants are the only Subjects thereof; and that Baptiſm is nor dipping or burying the Body in VVater, but only ſprinkling or pouring a few Drops of VVater on the Perſon's Face; then continue in your former Practice till God ſhall open your Eyes. But if you are otherwiſe perſwaded, that Mr. Owen is in an Error, then I exhort you that believe in Chriſt, to ariſe and be baptized: But leſt Mr. Owen ſhould ſay 'tis too ſoon for you to make Judgment yet, pray ſtay till we have heard his Anſwers to our Objections, and alſo all what he hath further to ſay.