Light Broke Forth in Wales Expelling Darkness, Chapter 2
CHAP II.
Containing ſome Remarks upon Mr. Owen's ſecond Chapter.
AS to what you have wrote in your ſecond Chapter, about the Continuation of Water-Baptiſm in the Church until Chriſt's coming the ſecond time, or to the end of the World; I approve generally of your Arguments, and in that matter we are of your mind, tho much more might be added to confirm that great Truth: but pray, Sir, remember, 'tis Chriſt's Baptiſm of Believers, which he only inſtituted, that doth remain, not Infants Baptiſm, much leſſ Infants Rantiſm, which was neither inſtituted nor allowed by our bleſſed Lord. And becauſe ſome of your Arguments for the Continuation of Baptiſm, mentioned in your ſecond Chapter, tend to overthrow your Infant Baptiſm, I shall make ſome Remarks upon them.
They are taken from your 4th Proof, you argue thus, viz. Water Baptiſm is to continue in the Church, if we conſider the Ends of it.
1. You ſay Chriſt hath ordained Baptiſm to be a Sign of our Repentance, and therefore 'tis called the Baptiſm of our Repentance, Mark 1. 4. Repentance is a remaining Duty, therefore the Baptiſm of Repentance is to remain.
Remark. If Baptiſm be a si…n of Repentance to the Perſon baptized, then the Perſon baptized ought to be a Perſon capable to repent, and when baptized, to have what is ſignified therein: but Infants as ſuch have not the Grace of Repentance when baptized, ſo they are not capable to repent.
2dly You ſay, It is an Evidence of our Faith in Chriſt, Mark 16. 16. Acts 8. 37, 38. and therefore it is to remain as long as Faith is to remain on the Earth.
Remark. If Baptiſm is an Evidence of our Faith in Chriſt, then it muſt only belong to Believers. How can it be an Evidence of Faith in Infants who are not capable to believe? they know not the Object of Faith, nor can they exert any Act of Faith. It muſt be an Evidence to the Subject when baptized, and ſo the Scriptures you cite hold forth: He that believeth and is baptized, ſhall be ſaved, Mark 16. 16. it doth not ſay, he that is baptized and believeth. If thou believeſt with all thy Heart thou mayſt: Not if thou ſhalt believe hereafter, but if thou doſt believe now. It appertains to ſuch who have Faith when baptized, and it evidences ſuch a Faith to the Perſon; nay Faith is required of them before they are to be baptized. And ſo ſaith the Church of England.
3dly. You ſay, It is the Bond of Holineſs, 1 Pet. 3. 21. the Apoſtle exhorts the Chriſtians to be dead unto Sin, and alive unto Righteouſneſs. There is a Virtue in the Ordinances of God anſwerable to the End for which they are ordained, &c.
Remark. Still, Reader, know that it is a Bond to the Adult only, Infants are not able to die to Sin, nor live unto Holineſs: They cannot anſwer a good Conſcience by the Reſurrection of Chriſt from the dead. Ordinances have no more Virtue in them to an Infant, than if you ſhould water a dead Tree. There can be no increaſe in Holineſs without the Grace of Holineſs in the Habit be firſt infuſed; and if the Seed of Holineſs be [firſt] infuſed in Infants before Baptiſm, or in Baptiſm, that Seed would remain in them, and appear as ſoon as they come to Underſtanding, 1 Joh. 3. 9. But that any ſuch Seed or vital Principle is either way in Infants as ſuch, whether Infants of Believers, or others, appears not; but contrary-wiſe, nothing appears in them when grown up, but the curſed Seed of Sin, and ſo it will until their Natures be changed by Divine Grace.
4thly. You ſay, Baptiſm is a ſign of Union with Chriſt, we were baptized into him: For as many of you as have been baptized into Chriſt, have put on Chriſt; Gal. 3. 27. Again, the Apoſtle ſaith, We are all baptized into one Body, 1 Cor. 12. 13. Chriſt is the Head of the Body, the Faithful are the Members, thoſe that are in everlaſting Union with him, which is ſignified in Baptiſm: Can they deſire to be in one Body with Chriſt, who are not willing to be baptized into this Union?
Remark. Have Infants, as ſuch, Union with Chriſt? If they have, they would all partake of the Bleſſings of that Union, and be all ſaved, becauſe the Branch that is ſavingly united to the Vine Chriſt, partakes of the Virtue that is in him; and it is an indiſſolvable Union, like that between the Father and the Son, John 17. 21, 23. You ſay the Union is everlaſting, and this is ſignified in Baptiſm. Now what is the Sign without the Thing ſignified? Sir, no doubt elect Infants that die have Union with Chriſt in a way we are ignorant of, but what is this to the Infants of Believers as ſuch? I will appeal to your own Conſcience, whether you believe any one Infant you baptize, (or rather rantize, or ſprinkle) that lives, hath ſpiritual Union with Chriſt, before, or in Baptiſm, or Rantiſm; for if they had, they do not after they are grown up need any inſpired Habit, or the Seed of Grace to be infuſed into them, in order to ſuch Union. Without Faith there is no Union with Chriſt, and there can be no Faith without Knowledg; there is no ſpiritual Marriage to Chriſt without a Conſent, which Infants are not capable of. Moreover, why do you ſpeak of Perſons being not willing to be baptized, when the Subject of Baptiſm you contend for is a poor ignorant Babe? Can Infants be willing? Sir, what you ſpeak has weight in it to the Adult, to Believers, but ſignifies nothing for the Continuation of Baptiſm to Infants, but rather that it ought to be rejected, as not being of God.
5thly. You ſay, Baptiſm ſignifies Remiſſion of Sins, Mark 1. 4. Be baptized every one of you (ſaith Peter) in the Name of Jeſus Chriſt for the Remiſſion of Sins. So Ananias ſaid unto Paul, Ariſe, and be baptized, and waſh away thy Sins, calling upon the Name of the Lord; Acts 22. 16. …nd are not they, ſay you, unthankful to the Grace of G… which offereth them a Seal of Abſolution, and they …ll not receive it? &c.
Remark. Baptiſm is a ſign of Remiſſion of Sin to none but Believers, who have Repentance: and therefore Peter exhorted thoſe Jews, firſt to repent; Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jeſus Chriſt, for the Remiſſion of Sins. Such only here have the Promiſe of Remiſſion that do and can repent, and to ſuch only ought the Sign to be given, who have the Thing ſignified, which are not Infants but Believers. Is Abſolution and the Seal of it offered unto Infants, and do they refuſe to receive it? Sir, were your Eyes open'd you would ſoon ſee you apply all you ſay to the wrong Subjects. You exhort the Subjects of Baptiſm to be thankful, le…t they deſpiſe the Seal of Pardon. Now take from your Reaſoning this following Argument, viz. Such Perſons that Baptiſm belongs unto, may neglect and deſpiſe the Ordinance and Seal of Pardon; but Infants cannot neglect or deſpiſe the Ordinance and Seal of Pardon: Ergo, Baptiſm doth not belong to Infants.
6thly. Baptiſm is, you ſay, a Condition of the Promiſe of Salvation; He that believeth and is baptized, ſhall be …d; Mark 16. 16. 'Tis true, ſay you, the Promiſe is not only to Baptiſm, nor is it alſo to Faith only, but to Faith and Baptiſm. Doſt thou not deſire to be ſaved? Why then deſpiſeſt thou one of the Means of Salvation? Thou ſayſt, if I believe I ſhall be ſaved, tho not baptized with Water; Chriſt ſaith otherwiſe, that thou muſt believe and be baptized, if thou wilt be ſaved: 'Tis true, the Apoſtle saith to the Goaler, Believe on the Lord Jeſus, and thou ſhalt be ſaved, Acts 16. 31, 32. but ſo ſoon as he believed, he was baptized. The Unbelief and Haughtineſs of thy Heart maketh thee to reject this holy Ordinance, &c.
Remark. How can you make Baptiſm a Condition of Salvation to Infants who are no ways capable to anſwer it? neither Faith nor Baptiſm is required of them, nor are their Parents commanded to baptize them: But 'tis true, ſuch as believe, are required to be baptized; and ſuch as reject it, and will not be baptized, tho the proper Subjects, do reject the Counſel of God, and may endanger their Salvation; or at leaſt it calls into queſtion (if convinced of it, i. …. that it is their Duty) the truth of their Grace, that they neither unfeignedly believe in, nor love Jeſus Chriſt: therefore (Sir) ſo ſoon as a Child is grown up and doth believe, he ſhould be baptized, not before; for we have a perfect Rule to walk by.
Arg. 2. Where there is no Law, there is no Tranſgreſſion:
But there is no Law to baptize Infants: Ergo, It is no Tranſgreſſion not to baptize them.
Where God hath no Mouth to ſpeak, we ſhould have no Ear to hear.
Arg. 3. To act in the Service of God without Authority from his Word, is a Sin:
But they that baptize Infants do act in the Service of God without Authority from his Word: Ergo, It is a Sin to baptize Infants.
Would not Abraham have ſinned if he had circumciſed his Females, or to have circumciſed his Males on the 7th or 9th day, becauſe the expreſs. Command was to Males, and on the eighth day? ſo the expreſs Command of Chriſt is, to be baptized when made Diſciples, if we believe, if we repent, or when we believe, and bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance. You add, That they that deſpiſe Water-Baptiſm, deſpiſe not John's Baptiſm, but the Baptiſm of Chriſt, therefore their Sin is the greater.
Remark. But they that deſpiſe and ſlight the Baptiſm of Infants, deſpiſe neither the Baptiſm of John nor Chriſt; becauſe neither John nor our bleſſed Saviour commanded Infants to be baptized, nor did they ever baptize one Child as we read of; if you can prove they did do it, we will ſay no more. but will ſoon baptize our Children. Thus I have done with all I thought neceſſary to remark, or take notice of that is contained in your ſecond Chapter.