Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 18 · Letter 17
A Letter of M. Philpot, to a frende of his, prisoner the same time in Newgate, wherein is debated and discussed the matter or question of Infants to be baptised.
THe God of all lighte and vnderstanding, lighten your heart wyth all true knowledge of his word,A letter of M. Philpot, stablishing A certaine brother in the matter of baptising of infantes. and make you perfect to the day of our Lorde Iesus Christ, wherevnto you are nowe called, through the mighty operation of his holy spirite. Amen.
I receiued yesternight from you deare brother S. and felow prisoner for the truth of Christes Gospell, a Letter, wherein you gently require my iudgement cōcerning the Baptisme of infantes, which is the effect thereof. And before I doe shewe you what I hauehave learned out of Gods word & of his true & infallible church touchyng the same, I thinke it not out of the matter first to declare what vision I had the same night whiles musing on your letter I fell a sleepe, knowing that God doth not without cause reueale to his people who hauehave their mynds fixed on him speciall and spirituall reuelations to their comfort, as a tast of their ioy and kingdome to come, which fleshe and bloud can not comprehend.
…Being in the middest of my sweete rest, it seemed me to see a great beautifull Citie all of the colour of Azure, and white, foure square in a marueilous beautifull composition in the middest of the skie, the sight whereof so inwardly comforted me, that I am not able to expresse the consolation I had thereof, yea the remembrance thereof causeth as yet my hart to leape for ioy, and as charitie is no churle, but would others to bee pertakers of his delight, so mee thought I called to others (I cannot tel whom) & whiles they came, and we together beheld the same, by and by to my great griefe it vaded away.
This dreame I thinke not to hauehave come of the illusion of the senses, because it brought with it so much spirituall ioy, and I take it to be of the workyng of Gods spirite for the contentation of your request, as he wrought in Peter to satisfy Cornelius. Therfore I interprete this beautifull Citie to be the glorious Church of Christ,… and the appearance of it in the skie, signifieth the heauenly state thereof, whose conuersation is in heauē, and that according to the Primitiue Church which is now in heauen, men ought to measure and iudge the church of Christ now in earth▪ for, as the Prophet Dauid sayth: The foundations thereof be in the holy hils, …and glorious thyngs be spoken of the city of God. And the maruelous quadrature of the same, I take to signifie the vniuersal agreement in the same, and that all the Church here militant ought to consent to the Primitiue Church throughout the foure parts of the worlde, as the Prophete affirmeth,… saying: God maketh vsus to dwell after one maner in one house. And that I conceyued so wonderfull ioy at the contemplation therof, I vnderstand the vnspeakeable ioy which they hauehave that bee at vnitie wyth Christes Primitiue Church: For there is ioy in the holye Ghost, and peace, which passeth all vnderstanding, as it is written in the Psalmes: As of ioyful persons is the dwelling of all them that be in thee. And that I called others to the fruition of this vision, and to behold this wonderfull city, I conster it by the will of God this vision to hauehave come vppon me, musing on your letter, to the ende, that vnderunder this figure I might hauehave occasion to mooue you with many others, to behold the Primatiue church in all your opinions concernyng fayth, and to conforme your selfe in all poynts to the same, which is the piller and stablishment of truth, and teacheth the true vse of the sacraments, and hauyng with a greater fulnesse then we hauehave, now the first fruits of the holy Ghost, did declare the true interpretatiō of the scriptures accordyng to all veritie, euen as our Sauiour promised to send them an other comforter, whiche should teach them all truth.
And since all truth was taught & reuealed to the Primitiue church which is our mother, let vsus all that be obedient children of God submit our selues to the iudgement of the Church for the better vnderstanding of the Articles of our faith, and of the doubtful sentences of the scripture. Let vsus not go about to shew in vsus by followyng any priuate mans interpretation vponupon the word, an other spirite then they of the Primitiue Church had, least we deceyue ourselues. For there is but one fayth and one spirit, which is not contrary to hymselfe, neyther otherwyse now teacheth vsus then he did then. Therefore let vsus beleue as they hauehave taught vsus of the Scriptures, and be at peace wt them, accordyng as the true Catholicke Church is at this day: and the God of peace assuredly will be with vsus, & deliuer vsus out of all our worldly troubles and miseries, & make vsus partakers of their ioy and blisse, through our obedience to sayth with them.
…Therefore God commaundeth vsus in Iob, to aske of the elder generation, and to search diligently the memory of the Fathers. For we are but yesterdayes children, and be ignorant, and our dayes are like a shadowe, and they shall teach thee (sayth the Lorde) and speake to thee, and shall vtter wordes from their hartes. And by Salomon w… are commaunded,… not to reiecte the direction of our mother. The Lorde graunt you to direct your steppes in all thinges after her, and to abhorre all contention with her. For as S. Paule writeth: If any man be contentious, neither we, 1 Cor. 11.neither the Church of God hath any such custome.
Hitherto I hauehave shewed you good brother S. my iudgement generally of that you stande in doubt and dissent frō others, to the which I wishe you as myne owne harte to be conformable, and then doubtles you can not erre, but boldly may be glad in your troubles and triumph at the houre of your death, that you shall dye in the Church of God a faythfull Martyr, and receiue the crowne of eternall glory. And thus much hauehave I written vponupon the occasion of a vision before God vnfayned. But that you may not thinke that I goe about to satisfie you with vncertain visions onelyonly, and not after Gods word,Proo…e by testimonyes and Scriptures. I will take the ground of your letter and specially answere to the same by the scriptures and by vnfallible reasons reduced out of the same, & proue the Baptisme of Infantes to be lawfull, commendable, and necessary, whereof you seeme to stand in doubt.
In deed if you looke vppon the papisticall Synagogue onelyonly, which hath corrupted gods word by false interpretations, and hath peruerted the true vse of Christes sacraments,Baptisme of infantes of olde Antiquity in the Church. you might seeme to hauehave good handfast of your opinion agaynst the Baptisme of Infants. But forasmuch as it is of more antiquitie and hath his beginning from gods worde, and from the vse of the Primatiue Church, it must not in respect of the abuse in the popish Church be neglected, or thought not expedient to be vsed in Christs church. Auxentius, one of the Arrians sect, with hys adherentes, was one of the first that denied the Baptisme of children, and next after hym, Pelagius the heretike, and some other there were in S. Bernardes tyme, as it doth appeare by hys writyngs, and in our dayes the Anabaptists,EueryEvery thing abused in the Popes Church is not to be reiected, but the Antiquity therof to be searched and to be reduced agayne to the same. an inordinate kynd of men stirred vp by the deuill, to the destruction of the Gospel. But the Catholike truth deliuered vntounto vsus by the Scriptures▪ playnly determineth, that al such are to be baptised, as whom God acknowledgeth for hys people, and voucheth them worthy of sanctification or remission of theyr sinnes. Therefore since that Infants be in the number or scroll of Gods people, and be partakers of the promise by theyr purification in Christ, it must needes follow thereby, that they ought to be baptised as well as those that can professe their fayth. For we iudge the people of God as well by the free and liberall promise of GOD, as by the confession of fayth.The people of God is to be iudged by his free promise, & not by their confession. For to whome so euer God promiseth hymselfe to be theyr God, & whom he acknowledgeth for his, those no man without great impietie may exclude from the number of the faythful. But God promiseth, that he will not onelyonly be the God of such as doe professe hym, but also of Infants: promising them hys grace and remission of sinnes, as it appereth by the words of the couenaunt made vntounto Abraham:Gene. 17. I will set my couenant betweene thee and me (sayth the Lord) and betweene thy seede after thee in their generations, with an euerlasting couenaunt, to be thy God, and the God of thy seede after thee. To the which couenaunt Circumcision was added to be a signe of satisfaction as well in children as in men, & no man may think that this promise is abrogated with Circumcision & other ceremoniall lawes.Math. 5: For Christ came to fulfill the promises and not to dissolue them. Therfore in the Gospell he sayth of Infants, that is, of such as yet beleeued not:Math. 10. Let thy little ones come vntounto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdome of heauen. Agayne,Math. 19. Math. 18. It is not the will of your father which is in heauen, that any of these little ones do perish. Also, He that receyueth one such little chyld in my name, receyueth me. Take heede therefore that ye despise not one of these babes, for I tell you, their Angels do continually see in heauen my fathers face. And what may be sayd more playner then this: It is not the wyll of the heauenly father, that the Infants should perish? whereby we may gather that he receyueth them freely vntounto this grace, although as yet they confesse not their fayth. Since then that the worde of the promise which is conteyned in Baptisme, pertayneth as well to children as to men, why shoulde the signe of the promise which is Baptisme in water, be withdrawen from childrē when Christ hymselfe commandeth them to be receiued of vsus, and promiseth the reward of a Prophet to those that receiue such a little Infant:Math. 28. as he for an example dyd put before hys disciples.
Now will I prooue with manifest argumentes,Argumentes p…ouing the baptisme of children to be of God and that the Apostles baptised childrē. that children ought to be baptised, & that the Apostles of Christ did baptise children. The Lord commanded his Apostles to baptise all nations: therfore also children ought to bee baptised, for they are comprehended vnderunder this worde, All nations.
Further, whom God doth account among the faithfull, they are faythfull, for it was sayd to Peter,Actes. 10. That thyng which God hath purified, thou shalt not say to bee common or vncleane: But God doth repute children among the faithfull: Ergo, they be faithfull,An other Argument. except wee had leaue to resiste God, and seeme stronger and wiser then he.
And without all doubte the Apostles baptised those which Christ commanded:1. Cor. 1. but he commanded the faythfull to be baptised, among the which infants be reckoned: The Apostles then baptised Infants.
The Gospell is more then Baptisme, for Paule sayd: The Lord sent me to preach the Gospell, and not to baptise: not that he denied absolutely that he was sent to baptise, but that he preferred doctrine before Baptisme, for the Lorde commaunded both to the Apostles:1. Cor. 1. An other Argument. but children be receyued by the doctrine of the gospel of God, & not refused: therfore what person being of reason, may deny thē baptisme, which is a thing lesser then the Gospell? for in the Sacraments be two things to be considered,In Sacramentes 2. thinges to be considered. the thing signified, and the signe, & the thing signified is greater thē the signe, and from the thing signified in Baptisme, children are not excluded: who therfore may deny them the sign, which is, Baptisme in water?
Actes. 20.S. Peter could not deny them to be baptised in water, to whom he sawe the holy Ghost geuen, which is the certayne signe of Gods people: For he sayeth in the Actes: May any body forbid them to be baptised in water, An other reason.who hauehave receyued the holy Ghost as well as we? Therefore S. Peter denied not Baptisme to Infantes, for hee knew certaynely both by the doctrine of Christ, and by the couenant which is euerlasting, that the kingdome of heauen pertayned to Infants.
None be receyued into the kyngdome of heauen, but such as God loueth,Another reason. Rom. 8. and which are endued with his spirit, for who so hath not the spirite of God, he is none of hys. But Infantes be beloued of God, and therefore want not the spirit of God: wherefore if they hauehave the spirit of God as well as men, if they bee numbred among the people of God as well as we that be of age, who (I pray you) may well withstand children to be baptised with water, in the name of the Lord?
The Apostles in tymes past beyng yet not sufficiently instructed,Another reason. did murmure against those which broght their children vntounto the Lord, but the Lord rebuked them, & said: Let the Babes come vntounto me. Math. 10.Why then doe not these rebellions Anabaptists obey the cōmandement of the Lord? For what do they now adayes els that bring their children to baptisme, then that they did in tymes past, which brought their children to the Lord, and our lord receiued them, and puttyng his hands on them, blessed them, & both by words and by gentle behauiour towardes them, declared manifestly that children be the people of God, and entirely beloued of God.Obiection. But some will say, why then did not Christ baptise them? Because it is written: Iesus hymselfe baptised not, but hys disciples.
Moreouer, Circumcision in the old law was ministred to infants:Iohn. 4. therfore baptisme ought to be ministred in the new law vntounto children. For baptisme is come in the stead of Circumcision,Another reason. as S. Paule witnesseth, saying to ye Collossians: By Christ yee are circumcised with a Circumcision which is without hands, Coloss. 2.when ye put of the body of sinne of the flesh, by the Circumcision of Christ, beyng buried together with hym through Baptisme. Behold, Paule calleth Baptisme the Circumcision of a Christian man, which is done without hands, not that water may be ministred without handes, but that with hands no man any longer ought to bee circumcised, albeit the mysterie of Circumcisiō do stil remain in faythfull people.
Another reason.To this I may adde, that the seruaunts of God were alwayes redy to minister the sacraments to them, for whō they were instituted. As for an example, we may beholde Iosue,Iosua. 5. who most diligently procured the people of Israell to be circumcised, before they entred into the lande of promise: but since the Apostles were the preachers of ye word, and the very faithful seruants of Iesus Christ, who maye hereafter doubt that they baptised infants sithen baptisme is in place of Circumcision?
Item, the Apostles dyd attemperate all their doyngs to the shadowes and figures of the olde Testament: therfore it is certayne that they did attemperate Baptisme accordingly to Circumcision,Another reason. and baptised children because they were vnderunder the figure of Baptisme: for the people of Israell passed through the red sea, and the bottome of the water of Iordane, with their children. And although the children be not alwayes expressed, neither the women in the holy Scriptures, yet they are comprehended and vnderstood in the same.
Also the Scripture euidently telleth vsus, that the Apostles baptised whole families or households: But the children bee comprehended in a familie or householde,Another reason. as the chiefest and dearest part thereof: Therefore we may conclude, that the Apostles dyd baptise Infantes or children, and not onelyonly men of lawfull age. And that the house or houshold is taken for man, woman, and chyld, it is manifest in the 17. of Genesis, and also in that Ioseph doth call Iacob with all hys house, to come out of the land of Chanaan, into Egypt.
Finally, I can declare out of auncient writers, that the Baptisme of Infantes hath continued from the Apostles tyme, vntounto oures,Argu… of … & …. neyther that it was instituted by anye Councels, neyther of the Pope, or of other men, but commended from the Scripture by the Apostles themselues. Origene vponupon the declaration of S. Paules Epistles to the Romaines, expoundyng the vj. chapter, sayeth:Origen who was 200. yeares after Christ. S. Austen & S. Hierome 400. after Christ. Verba Iohannis Cō stantinopol. foreign. Cyprian. 250. after Christ. August. contra Donati… a…. Cyrillus. That the Church of Christ receyued the Baptisme of Infants from the very Apostles. S. Hierome maketh mention of the Baptisme of Infantes, in the third booke agaynst the Pelagians, and in hys Epistle vntounto Leta. Saint Augustine reciteth for this purpose, a place out of Iohn Bishop of Cō stantinople, in hys first booke agaynst Iulian, chap. 2. and he agayne writyng to S. Hierome Epist. 28. sayth: That Saint Cyprian not makyng any newe decree, but firmely obseruyng the fayth of the Church iudged with hys fellowe Bishops, that as soone as one was borne, he might bee lawfully baptised. The place of Cypriā is to be seene in his Epistle to Fidus.
Also S. Augustine writyng agaynst the Donatists in the 4. booke, chap. 23. and 24. sayth, That the Baptisme of Infantes was not deriued from the authoritie of man, neyther of Councels, but from the tradition or doctrine of the Apostles.
Cyrill vponupon Leuiticus, chap. 8. approoueth the Baptisme of children, and condemneth the iteration of Baptisme. These authorities of men I do alledge, not to tie the Baptisme of children vntounto the testimonies of men, but to shew how mens testimonies do agree with Gods word, and that the veritie of antiquity is on our side, & that the Anabaptists hauehave nothyng but lyes for them, & new imaginations which fayne the Baptisme of children to be the Popes commandement.
After this will I aunswer to the summe of your argumentes for the contrary. The first which includeth all the rest, is, It is written: Goe ye into all the worlde, and preach the gladde tidynges to all creatures. He that beleeueth and is baptised, shall bee saued: but hee that beleeueth not, shall bee damned. &c.
To this I aunswer, that nothyng is added to Gods word by the baptisme of children, as you pretend, but that is done which the same word doth require, for that children are accounted of Christ in the gospell, among the nū ber of such as beleeue, as it appeareth by these words: He that offendeth one of these little babes which beleeue in mee, Math. 18.it were better for hym to hauehave a myllstone tyed about hys necke, & to be cast into the bottome of the sea. Where plainly Christ calleth such as be not able to confesse their fayth, beleuers: because of his meere grace he reputeth them for beleeuers. And this is no wonder so to be taken,Righteousnes and acceptation is onelyonly by imputacion and mere grace. 1. Cor. 7. sithen God imputeth fayth for righteousnes vntounto mē that be of a riper age: for both in men and children righteousnes, acceptation, or sanctification is of meere grace and by imputation, that the glory of Gods grace might be praysed.
And that the children of faythfull parents are sanctified, and among such as doe beleeue, is apparant in the 1. Cor. 7. And where as you doe gather by the order of the wordes in the sayd commaundement of Christ, that childrē ought to be taught before they be baptised, and to this ende you alledge many places out of the Actes, proouyng that such as confessed their fayth first, were baptised after: I aunswer, that if the order of wordes might weigh anye thyng …o this cause, we hauehave the Scripture that maketh as well for vsus. For in *Marke. 1.S. Marke we read, that Iohn dyd baptise in the desert, preachyng Baptisme of repentaunce. In the which place we see baptising go before, & preaching to follow.
And also I wyll declare this place of Mathew exactly considered, to make for the vse of baptisme in children, for S. Mathew hath it written in this wyse: All power is geuen me (sayth the Lord) in heauen and in earth, therefore going forth, foreign, that is,Math. 28. Disciple ye (as I may expres the signification of the word:) that is, make or gather to me Disciples of all nations. And followyng, he declareth the way how they should gather to hym Disciples out of all nations, baptising them and teachyng: by baptising and teachyng ye shall procure a Church to me. And both these aptly and briefly seuerally he setteth foorth, saying:The place of Mathew. 28. [he that beleeueth and is baptised] opened. Baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and the holy Ghost, teachyng them to obserue all thyngs whatsoeuer I hauehave commaunded you. Now then Baptisme goeth before doctrine.
But hereby I do not gather, that the Gentiles which neuer heard any thyng before of God, and of the sonne of God, and of the holy Ghost, ought to be baptised, neyther they would permit themselues to bee baptised before they knew to what end. But this I hauehave declared to shew you vponupon how feeble foundation the Anabaptistes bee grounded. And playnly it is not true which they imagine of this text, that the Lord dyd onelyonly commaund such to bee baptised whome the Apostles had first of all taught. Neyther here verily is signified who onelyonly be to be baptised, but he speaketh of such as bee not of perfect age, and of the first foundations of fayth, and of the Church to bee planted among the Gentiles which were as yet rude and ignorant of religion.
Such as be of age may heare, beleue and confesse that is preached and taught, but so cannot infants: therfore we may iustly collect, that he speaketh here nothing of infants or children. But for al this they be not to be excluded from Baptisme.
It is a generall rule: He that doth not labour, must not eate. But who is so barbarous that might thinke hereby, that children should be famished?
In the fi…st c…uerting of …fidels, beleeuing ought to … before bapti…ing, but where … the p…rceiued: Gods grace and Sacramentes goe … by age, but as well be children of the faith… recea… at the fathers.The Lord sent hys Apostles at the beginnyng of the settyng vp his true religion vntounto al nations, vntounto such as were both ignorant of God, and were out of the couenant of God, and truly such persons it behooued not first to bee baptised and afterward taught, but first to be taught and after baptised. If at this day we should go to the Turkes to conuert them to the faith of Christ, verily first we ought to teach them, and afterward baptise such as would yeeld to be the seruants of Christ. Likewyse the Lorde hymselfe in tymes past dyd, when first he renewed the couenāt with Abraham, and ordeyned Circumcision to be a seale of the couenaunt after that Abraham was circumcised. But hee when he perceiued the infantes also to pertaine to the couenant, and that Circumcision was the sealyng vp of the couenant, did not only circumcise Ismael his sonne yt was 13. yeres of age, but all other infantes that were borne in his house, among whom we recken Isaac.
Euen so faythfull people which were conuerted from Heathen Idolatry by the preaching of the gospel, and cō fessing the faith, were baptised, when they vnderstood their children to be counted among the people of God, and that Baptisme was the token of the people of God,… child…e… of chris… pa…ents be receaued … baptisme. they procured also their children to be baptised. Therefore as it is written: Abraham circumcised all the male children of hys house Semblably we read in the Actes and writyngs of the Apostles, that after the Maister of the house was turned to the fayth, all the whole house was baptised. And as concernyng those which of olde tyme were compelled to confesse their fayth before they receyued baptisme, whiche were called Cathecumeni, Cathecumenius a much to say … Nouecies & beginners in Christes fayth.they were such as with our forefathers came from the Gentiles to the Church, who beyng yet rude of fayth, they did instruct in the principles of their beliefe, and afterward they did baptise them: but the same auncient Fathers notwithstandyng, dyd baptise the children of faythfull men, as I hauehave already partly declared.
And because you doe require a hasty aunswer of your letter of one that is but a dull writer, I am here enforced to cease particularly, to go through your letter in aunswering thereto, knowyng that I hauehave fully answered eueryevery part thereof, in that I hauehave already written, although not in such order as it had bene meet, and as I purposed. But forasmuch as I vnderstand that you will be no contentious man, neither in this matter, neither in any other, contrary to the iudgement of Christes Primatiue Churche, which is the body and fulnesse of Christ. I desire you in the entire louelove of hym, or rather Christ desireth you by me (that your ioy may be perfect, whereto you are now called) to submit your iudgement to that Church, and to bee at peace and vnitie with the same, that the coate of Christ which ought to be without seame, but now alas most miserably is torne in pieces by many daungerous sectes and damnable opinions, may appeare by you in no part to hauehave bene rented, neither that any giddy head in these dog dayes myght take an example by you to dissent frō Christes true Church: I beseech thee deare brother in the Gospell, follow the steps of the faith of the glorious Martirs in the Primatiue Church, and of such as at this day folow the same: decline not from them neither to the right hand nor to the left. Then shall death be it neuer so bitter, bee more sweeter then this lyfe: then shall Christ with al the heauenly Hierusalem triumphantly embrace your spirite with vnspeakeable gladnes and exaltation, who in this earth was content to ioyne your spirit with their spirites, accordyng as it is commaunded by the word, that the spirite of Prophets should be subiect to the Prophetes. One thyng aske with Dauid ere you depart, and require the same that you may dwell with a full accorde in hys house,2. Cor. 14. for there is glory and worship: and so with Simeon in ye temple embracing Christ, depart in peace: to the whiche peace Christ bryng both you and me, and all our louyng brethren that louelove God in the vnity of fayth, by such wais as shall please hym to his glory. Let the bitter passion of Christ which he suffred for your sake, and the horrible torments which the godly Martyrs of Christ hauehave endured before vsus,Concerning the party to whom this letter was written, note that he was conuerted and afterward dyed in the same faith as this letter did perswade him. and also the inestimable reward of your lyfe to come, which is hidden yet a little whyle from you wyth Christ, strengthen, comfort, and encourage you to the end of that glorious race which you are in, Amen.
Your yoke fellow in captiuitie for the veri…ie of Christes Gospell, to lyue and dye with you in the vnitie of fayth, Iohn Philpot.
❧ Diuers other letters were written by M. Philpot to diuers, but these as most principall I hauehave excerpted, and inserted. Amongest which I thought here not much impertinent to the place, to adioyne an other certayne letter of a godly & zealous Gospeller (whose name in her writyng doth not appeare) who in defendyng and commendyng the quarell of this M. Iohn Philpot, Christes most famous and worthy Martyr, was therefore troubled and brought before B. Boner. And therefore beyng appoynted by the sayd bishop, to appeare vponupon a certayne day to aunswer for her selfe, In deede kept not her day with the Bishop, but in stead of her appearance, sent hym this letter, here followyng.