Anti-Paedobaptism Part 2, Section 25
SECT. XXV.
Dr. Hammonds elusion of Matth. 28. 19. alleged against infant-baptism is refelled.
SEct 25. Ubi suprà, he sayth thus, And in the New Testament I cannot foresee any words that may come under suspition of doing so, but those of Matth. 28, 19. Goteach all Nations, baptizing them, &c. And those words being duly weighed are far from doing so. For the phrase which is there used in the original is a singular one, not duly exprest by our English [teach] It is foreign, make Disciples, or receive into Discipleship all Nations, baptizing them in the Name, &c. making this form of baptism their ceremony of receiving them. You may see the word explained in a parallel phrase John 4▪ 1. The Pharisees heard that Jesus makes more Disciples and baptizeth than John, foreign, where to make Disciples and baptize is all one with foreign, where the baptizing being immediately annexed to the making or receiving Disciples, and the receiving Disciples not supposing any precedent instruction, but, looking wholly on it as subsequent (in like manner as in this place v. 20. foreign [teaching] follows after foreign, baptizing) all that are thus brought and received ad discipulatum, to be for the future instructed, and instituted in the Christian faith, may surely be received by baptism, the ceremony which is there prescribed by Christ, with which to receive Disciples.
Answ. Though I conceive Dr, Hammond to ascribe more power to the Canons of Prelates about the Sacraments than is meet, being one who hath written in defence of the Commonprayer Book, yet by this allegation of Matth. 28. 19. he seems tacitely to yield that if the words there include not infants under the discipled, then there is something in the New Testament, which excludes infants from baptism, although he say, Sect. 96. I do not believe or pretend that that Precept of Christ doth necessarily infer (though it do as little deny) that infants are to be baptized. But me thinks if the Doctor will stand to his own words elsewhere, he must acknowledg that by the precept of baptizing, Matth. 28. 19. infants are excluded. For the Doctor sayth, Sect. 55. Christs institution makes dipping or sprinkling with water a Sacrament; which institution is Matth. 28. 19. and therefore the Doctor will have the words there indisp…nsably used in baptism; and Sect. 92. he sayth, Baptism is a Sacrament, that Sacrament an institution of Christ that institution not founded in any reason of immutable truth, but onelyonly in the positive will of Christ, and so that there is nothing considerable in this question, (or any of this nature) but how it was delivered by Christ. And Sect. 94. that which was done by the Apostles, if it were not a Rule for ever, yet was an effect of such a Rule formerly given by Christ, and interpretable by this practice to be so. And Practical Catech. lib. 6. sect. 2. he expounding Christs institution, sayth, that the words import that the person baptized acknowledgeth, maketh profession of believing in three, delivers himself to three, as Authors of his faith, and to be ruled by the direction of this Master, and this he will have to be meant by baptizing into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Whence I infer, that if baptism be a Sacrament, and made so by Christs institution, and that institution founded onelyonly in his positive will, and the will of Christ be that baptism be into the name of the Trinity, and this is when the baptized makes profession of believing in three, to be ruled by them, and the Apostles practice interprets Christs rule; no infant that doth not profess faith is baptized into the name of the Trinity, nor was appointed to be baptized by Christ, nor did the Apostles baptize them, and therefore they are not baptized according to Christs institution, and so no Sacrament to them. Yea, if the positive will of Christ be the reason of baptism, they usurp upon Christs prerogative, who baptize otherwise than Christ hath appointed & then if the precept of Christ doth not necessarily infer infantbaptsm (which the Doctor ingenuously acknowledgeth) it doth by manifest consequence deny it, sith he forbids that to be done otherwise han he hath appointed, when he hath determin'd how it should be done. The Doctor when he sayth above, the words [I baptize into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost] must be indispensably used; me thinks by the same reason should conceive Christs institution should be unalterably used in baptizing those onelyonly whom he hath appointed to be baptized. But let us consider what shift the Doctor makes to elude the force of Christs institution, Matth. 28. 19. that it may not be thought to exclude infants from baptism. I grant that foreign is best rendred [make Disciples] and like it well, that he acknowledgeth [makes Disciples, and baptizeth, John 4. 1.] is all one with [making Disciples, baptizing them, Matth. 28. 19.] But I deny, 1. that foreign, is well paraphrased by [receive into Discipleship all Nations, baptizing them in the Name, &c. making this form of baptism their ceremony of receiving them] For by it the making Disciples is made the same with receiving into Discipleship or receiving Disciples, and baptism the ceremony of receiving into Discipleship, which is as truly the act of the baptized thereby professing or avouching his Discipleship. 2. That the making or receiving Discipleship supposeth not any precedent instruction, but looks wholly on it as subsequent. For 1. that which in Matthew is expressed by, Go ye therefore and make Disciples all Nations, is in Mark 16. 15. Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature; which shews how they should disciple all Nations. Now they who are made Disciples by preaching the Gospel are made Disciples by precedent instruction. Ergo, the making or receiving Disciples Matth. 28. 19. supposeth precedent instruction. 2. Such as the making Disciples was Ioh. 4. 1. such is the making Disciples, Mat. 28. 19. For by the Doctors confession they are all one. But that was by preaching, as is plain concerning Iohn, Matth. 3. 1, 2, 5, 6. and concerning the Apostles, Mat. 10. 5, 6, 7. Ergo. Whence, 3. I further argue, That way the Apostles were to disciple all Nations by which they were to disciple the lost sheep of the house of Israel, but that was by preaching, Ergo, discipling supposeth precedent instruction. 4. From the use and notation of the word, which is so to teach as that they learn, and so is used Matth. 13. 52. foreign, is rendred [instructed] by our last Translators, and can be no otherwise rendred than [made a Disciple by teaching] So Acts 14. 21. it is sayd, Having preacht the Gospel to that City, foreign, and having taught or made many Disciples. Whence, 5. it may appear how the Apostles understood the Precept of Christ to preach the Gospel to persons, and thereby make them Disciples. 6. A Disciple and a believer appear to be the same by comparing Matth. 28. 19. with Mark 16. 15, 16. For as the way of making Disciples is more fully expressed by preaching the Gospel; so the Disciple to be baptized is expressed by [the believer] which is put before baptism. Nor is it against this that after baptism they are to be taught, Matth. 28. 20. For that teaching is expressed to be the teaching the observation of all that he commanded: But the teaching that makes Disciples is the preaching the Gospel. So that the plain order and meaning of Christs words is this, that 1. the Apostles should not stay onelyonly within the Land of Israel, but go into all the World. 2. That they should by preaching the Gospel, declaring that Jesus was the Christ, make them Disciples, that is, taught concerning Christ, or believers in him. 3. That they should baptize them. 4. That they should then teach them to observe all his commands. Now infants are not made Disciples by preaching the Gospel, therefore by Christs institution not appointed to be baptized, and therefore are baptized without his warrant, and consequently unlawfully.
What Dr. Hammond sayth sect. 26. were it all granted him, yet it would no whit avail to prove that an infant may be a Disciple appointed by Christ to be baptized. For let putting to school be as early as the Doctor will imagine, yet none is put to school till he doth know his Teacher, and so none is Christs Disciple in the Scripture-language till he know Jesus to be Christ, and take him for his Lord, which infants being not capable of, they are not Disciples, nor to be baptized according to Christs appointment. What he adds s. 27, 28. is not right. For 1. it is not true, that a Disciple and a Proselyte are perfectly all one. For a Proselyte notes one that is by birth an alien from the Common-wealth of Israel, and comes to the Israelites to own their God, and be part of their policy, not to be taught but to enjoy privileges with other Jews, whether Civil or Ecclesiastical. There is no mention of the Disciples of the Priests, but of the Pharisees and Sadduces: But a Disciple of Christ is one that owns Christ for his Teacher and Lord onelyonly for spiritual benifits. Nor doth the Holy Ghost at any time call Christians Christs proselytes but his Disciples, that we might not confound the notions of these terms. And though the origination of the word [proselyte] be from foreign, to come to, and Christ saith, Suffer little children to come to me, and this infers their capacity of proselytism, and the next words [For of such is the Kingdom of God] suppose them particularly qualified for it, yet that coming and imagined pro…elytism being onelyonly for ablessing by prayer, and laying on of hands, not to be made Disciples or baptized, this will not prove them capable of being made Disciples according to Christs appointment till by hearing the Gospel they own Christ as their Master. The like may be said of the entering into Covenant, Deut. 29. 10. which though in some sense it should be yielded, that infants may enter into Covenant, that is, by their parents act engaging them under a curse or oath to own God as theirs, in which sense the posterity then unborn did enter into Covenant, v. 15. yet this is insufficient to prove, that such an entering into Covenant makes infants Disciples or subjects of baptism according to Christs appointment. For in it such a discipling is injoyned as is by Preaching the Gospel, and they onelyonly are Disciples to be baptized who are believers, and they onelyonly are appointed to be baptized who in their own persons do enter into Covenant, or engage themselves to be Christs followers.