Infant Baptism Plainly Proved, Title page – Errata
Infant-baptism, Plainly Proved.
A DISCOURSE WHEREIN Certain ſelect Arguments for INFANT-BAPTISM, formerly ſyllogiſtically handled, are now reviewed, abbreviated, and reduced to a plain Method, for the benefit of the Unlearned, and Perſons of weaker Capacity.
By JOSEPH WHISTON, With a large Epiſtle to the Pious and Learned among the Anti-paedobaptiſts, eſpecially the Authors of the late Confeſſion of their Faith.
Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures,
Mat. 22.29.
Quo imperitior Sermo, hoc illuſtrior Ratio eſt.
Minutius Felix.
LONDON, Printed for Jonathan Robinſon at the Golden Lion in St. Pauls Church-yard, 1678.
Chriſtian Reader,
THe enſuing Sheets are only an Epitome of that Plea I have heretofore more largely managed on the behalf of the Covenant-Intereſt and Baptiſm of the Infant-Seed of Believers; wherein, as thou haſt the main Principles I have proceeded upon, ſo the Strength of thoſe Arguments urged for their eſtabliſhment, in a Method better ſuting ordinary Capacities. The Alterations I have made are only ſuch, as either the Method I have now proceeded in made neceſſary, or I judged uſeful for the more full explication of thoſe Principles, and enforcement of thoſe Arguments, with reference whereunto I have ſometimes made conſiderable Additions; which I can with much freedom and cheerfulneſs of Mind put into thine hands, becauſe they now for ſome years have offered themſelves to the ſevereſt Teſt of the most Critical Oppoſers of the Practice pleaded for, who either have utterly declined their Examination, or after the ſtricteſt Examination of them have not been able to produce any juſt exception againſt them. And beſides they are now reduced to ſuch a Method, and clothed in ſuch a Dreſs, as ſubjects them to thine own Teſt and Examination; thou mayeſt (as I may ſay) ſee with thine own Eyes. Here are no Majors or Minors to puzzle thy Head withal: but as the Propoſitions, containing the Principles I have proceeded on, are plainly ſet down; ſo their Explications and Proofs are, both in reſpect of Method and Terms uſed, accommodated to thine own Ʋnderſtanding. Neither is there any great Strength of Memory required to retain the firſt Propoſition, with the Evidence given in thereunto, till thou comeſt to the ſecond; nor to retain that or the ſecond, till thou comeſt to the third: nor any great Acuteneſs of Ʋnderſtanding, to diſcern the reference that one Propoſition hath to another, nor how the main Concluſion reſults from them all three, as laid together. Yet this muſt be ſaid, it cannot be rationally expected, that a Truth perplexed with ſuch variety of Diſputes, and entangled with ſuch variety of Objections, as this contended for hath been, ſhould immediatly be extricated out of all, and made to appear with that clearneſs, as that it ſhould command the Ʋnderſtandings of all Men to a ſubmiſſion thereunto, without ſome Diligence uſed, and ſome Prudence exerciſed, both in examining the Principles laid down, with the Evidence given in for their Confirmation, their ſubordination and reference the one to the other, and the juſtneſs of inferring and concluding the Truth aſſerted from them all.
The Method, Chriſtian Reader, that I would commend unto thee in examining what is here offered, is the ſame that I formerly adviſed to.
1. Throughly enquire into, and labour to come to a Reſolution about the Covenant-Intereſt or Federal Holineſs of the Infant-Seed of Believers. For though our Brethren of the Antipaedobaptiſt Perſwaſion ſeem willing to avoid a Conteſt about this, and to think that the main Difference between them and us is about their Baptiſm; yet indeed it is quite otherwiſe. Would they but (bonâ fide) own and aſſert their Covenant-Intereſt with us, our Differences would be brought into a much narrower Compaſs than now they are, neither ſhould we look upon theſe Conteſts of ſuch an importance as at preſent we cannot but do. 'Tis their Covenant-Intereſt that we mainly contend for; and whoſoever ſhall grant that, I doubt not but they will be eaſily brought, by the Evidence that is and may be (when neceſſary) produced from the Scriptures for their Baptiſm, if not to Compliance with, yet to ceaſe all further Oppoſition againſt it. 'Tis then their Covenant-Intereſt that I would adviſe thee firſt to enquire into, and labour to come to a Reſolution about; and in order thereunto to ſearch into, and labour to get ſatisfaction about the Covenant as at firſt eſtabliſh'd with Abraham. When the Apoſtle would eſtabliſh the Doctrine of Juſtification by Faith without the Works of the Law, he refers us once and again to the way and manner of Abraham's Juſtification, (ſee Rom. 4. begin. Gal. 3.6.) plainly ſhewing that God ſet a Pattern in Abraham, according to which he would ever after proceed in juſtifying the ungodly, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks. So in all other things appertaining to the Eſſence and Subſtance of the Covenant, he hath ſet a Pattern in Abraham, according unto which he always hath and will deal with all who are taken into the ſame Covenant with him. Hence would we be ſatisfied about the Tenour of the Covenant in regard of its Extent and Latitude, that is, would we know whether it extends to, and takes in Children with their Parents, or be only made with Parents themſelves, put that Queſtion to our ſelves that the Apoſtle doth Rom. 4.3. What ſaith the Scripture? that is, In what tenour doth the Scripture declare that the Covenant was made with Abraham? And we ſhall evidently find it was made not only perſonally with Abraham, but with him and his Seed, that is, his Children immediatly proceeding from his own Loins. The evidencing of this is the deſign of my firſt Propoſition. And having found out the true tenour of the Covenant, as at firſt eſtabliſhed with Abraham, the Father of the Faithful.
Then proceed to enquire how it hath been hitherto, and ſtill is continued to all his Seed, whether of his natural Poſterity, or of the Gentiles; and thou wilt evidently find, that as it is the Covenant eſtabliſhed with Abraham, that is, the Covenant Believers are ſtill under; ſo that it always hath been, and ſtill is continued in the ſame tenour to them all. This my ſecond Propoſition, with the Evidence given thereunto proves (pardon me though I ſay it) againſt all rational Contradiction. And clearly underſtanding, and being eſtabliſh'd in the Truth of theſe two firſt Propoſitions, thou mayeſt regularly proceed to the examination of the third. Neither do I much doubt thy ready Compliance with that, and conſequently the Truth contended for. And the truth is, were but what Mr. Baxter hath ſaid to prove the Church-Memberſhip of the Infant-Seed of Believers, (an Abbreviation of which is now extant) and what is even here offered for the eſtabliſhing of their Interest in the Conditional Covenant of Grace, from whence their Right to Church-Memberſhip doth ariſe, and the Arguments to prove the Rightfulneſs of their Baptiſm upon ſuppoſition of that their Covenant-Intereſt and Right to Church-Memberſhip, thorowly and impartially weighed, I cannot but hope this Controverſy would hasten to a Period among all that truly fear God.
Chriſtian Reader, I thought meet to let thee know, that I have had a curſory view of a late Apology for Anti-paedobaptiſm, put forth by one Mr. Grantham; wherein not finding my ſelf at all concerned, nor any thing added beyond what others have ſaid, I judged it needleſs to take any further notice of it. I ſhall only add, Labour to keep a due ſence of the weight and importance of this Controverſy as yet managed upon thine Hearts; keep in mind the Account thou must ſhortly give to him that is ready to judg the Quick and the Dead; impartially ponder what hath been, and here again is offered for thy ſatisfaction. Pray much: and as thou mayeſt aſſure thy ſelf of a ſhare in his, ſo let him have a ſhare in thy Prayers, who is ſincerely thine in the Service of thy Soul to his power,
J. W.
ERRATA.
PAg. 1. l. 20. for it read truth. Pag. 2. l. 13. for curioſity read curiouſly. Pag. 21. l. 16. for him read them. P. 31. l. 17. for indifferent read indefinite. P. 36. l. 22. for know read now. and l. ult. for Seed read Houſe. P. 38. l. 6. for nor read now. P. 43. l. 10. and what. P. 44. l. 14. blot out ſuch he. P. 54. l. ult. for Covenant read Command. P. 55. l. 27. for had read hath. P. 71. l. 6. for perſonal read Parents. l. 30. blot out move. P. 77 l. 7. for becauſe read beſides. P. 80. l. 18. for that read them. Pag. 82. l. 19. for to read into. In the Epiſtle. P. 91. l. 19. blot out one. P. 92. l. 29. for willingly read unwittingly.