Institutes of the Christian Religion Abridged by Edmond Bunnie, Book · Book 4 · Chapter 16
Cap. 16. That the Baptiſme of infants doth very well agree with the inſtitutions of Chriſte, and the nature of the ſigne.
FIrſt, he confirmeth the doctrin, from the 1. to the 9. Moreouer he generally confuteth the arguments of the aduerſaries, from the 10. to the 30. Laſt of all, he ſeuerally debateth with Seruetus. 31. 32.
1 Baptiſing of children was not brought in by the bouldeneſſe of men, but by the inſtitution of Chriſt.
2 This hee approoueth may eaſily be ſhewed by the conſideration of the promiſes.
Gen. 17.10 Matth. 22.323 But what theſe promiſes are, which are ioyned to this ſigne, can no better be perceiued, than in the inſtitution of Circumciſion.
4 The promiſes and the thing ſignified, are ſo all one in both, that no difference at all may bée founde, but in the outward Ceremonie. Paul willeth to examine the expoſition of Scripture by the proportion of faith.
5 Thereby he concludeth that Baptiſme doeth no leſſe belong to the children of the faithful, then Circumciſion to the Iewes: neither ought they to bée kept from the ſigne, which are partakers of the thing ſignified.
6 Hée vrgeth the ſame with the couenant which the Lord made with Abraham,Gen. 17.1… becauſe at the comming of Chriſt it woulde not be brought to paſſe, that the grace of God ſhoulde be darker and leſſe approoued to vsus, than it was before to the Iewes.
7 He draweth another argument (to confirme the former alſo) from the example of Chriſt,Matth. 9.13 courteouſly imbraſing infants, & muniteth the ſame againſt the gainſayers, that ſay, that it maketh nothing for baptiſme. But the place diligently wayed, muſt néedes condemne thē, when Chriſt cōmāded infāts to be brought to him, he added a reaſon why, bicauſe of ſuch is ye kingdom of heauē, & duplicate page duplicate page after he witneſſeth his will with déede when he imbraſing thē, hee cōmendeth them to his father with his prayer, and bleſſing: if it bée they bee brought to Chriſte, then is it méete for them to be receiued to Baptiſme, the ſigne of our communion & fellowſhip with Chriſt. If the kingdome of heauen bee theirs, then the ſigne ſhal not be denied them: whereby there is as it were an entrie opened into the Church, that being admitted to it, they may bée numbred among the heires of the heauenly kingdome. Their argument to prooue they were good bigge children, bicauſe Chriſt ſaide, Let little ones come to me is to ſmal purpoſe, for the Euangeliſt calleth them Brephe and Paidia, which doth ſignifie Babes, yet hanging vponupon their mothers breaſtes: Therefore this worde to (Come) is ſimply to hauehave acceſſe.
8 That they denie that it was euer doone of the Apoſtles, therein they ſay, more then they are able to prooue, and it is more likely that they did baptiſe Infants.Acts. 16.15 And all antiquitie, do referre the beginning of baptiſing children to the Apoſtles.
9 The fruite that commeth by this obſeruation, aſwel to the parents them ſelues, as to the infants which are baptiſed with holy water, is not bee deſpiſed, but rather damnation ought greatly to make vsus afraide that GOD will take vengeance of it, if any man deſpiſe to marke his ſonne with the ſigne of the Couenant, becauſe by ſuche contempt, the grace offered is refuſed, and as it were forſworne.
10 As touching their argumentes, firſt he examineth that which they are wont to take of the diſſimilitude of baptiſme and Circumciſion, and when ſeeing they put the diſſimilitude in thrée, hée ſheweth ſeuerally howe fooliſhly they may doe it, to wit, neither are diuerſe thinges ſignified:
11 Neither is the gouernance diuers in any thing.Col. 2.11
12 And the naming of children is not figuratiue, but ſimple,Gal. 4.22 and the ſame to both.
13. 14. 15 The laſt, that hee may more certainely conuince in the thrée next ſections, he proſecuteth the ſame. 1. Cor. 6.14. Rom. 15.8. Acts. 2.39. Ephe. 2.11,
16 All other differences which they labour to caſt betwéene Baptiſme and Circumciſion, are nothing at all: which he ſheweth by two examples.
17. 18. 19. 20. 21 Their other argumēt is, while they alledge that infants are not méete by meanes of age, to attaine to the myſtery there ſignified: to whome he aſſigneth the fiue ſections folowing. Rom. 14.11. Rom. 6.4. Col. 2.12. Gal. 3.27. 1. Pet. 4.21.
Ephe. 5.2622 Hée profeſſeth that he will proſecute certain other of their arguments: this he diſcuſſeth in the next place, becauſe they deny baptiſme to belong vntounto children,1. Cor. 12.17 bicauſe it is geuen in remiſſion of ſinnes, as though all infantes were frée of all ſinne.
23. 24 The fourth argument is, that they reaſon of the practiſe of the Apoſtles time, that none were admitted to Baptiſme,Acts. 2.37 but ſuch as had profeſſed their faith & repentance before. to this he anſwereth, in theſe two ſections. Eze. 16.20. Ephe. 2.12. Matth. 3.6.
25 The fift Argument is,Iohn. 3.31 that of Chriſtes wordes euill vnderſtoode, they ſtriue that preſent regeneration is required in baptiſme. To this firſt he anſwereth, that ther is no mention made of Baptiſme, but that Chriſt ſheweth the manner howe God doth regenerate vsus, namely, by water and the ſpirit, as though hee ſhoulde ſay, by the ſpirite which in cleanſing and watering faithfull ſoules, doeth the office of water: therefore water and the ſpirite is ſimply to be taken for the ſpirite, which is water.Matth. 3.31 The like ſpeach is vſed in Matthewe.
26 Moreouer he prooueth by a natural ſenſe of that place,Matth. 19.14 Matth. 28.19 that their falſe inuention is to be reiected, which adiudge all thoſe that are not baptiſed to eternall death.
27. 28 The ſixth argument they take of the commandement and example of Chriſt becauſe in the former place wée are commanded to teach,Matth. 28.19 Mark. 16.16 and after to baptiſe, and becauſe Chriſt would not bée baptiſed before hee was thirtie yéeres olde: to both partes of this argument he anſwereth in the firſt ſectiō.
2. Theſſ. 3.529 And in the next ſection alſo.
30 The 7. argument is, that they denie there is greater cauſe why Baptiſme ſhoulde be communicated to infants,1. Cor. 11.28 then the ſupper of the Lord, albeit he proueth*Although Muſculus in his common places thinketh otherwiſe: notwithſtanding M. Caluin, doeth ſay that the Supper may be giuen alſo to infants: but he vſeth ſuch modeſtie therein, that he cannot be blamed. there is a difference expreſſed in them.
31 After he hath thus performed theſe things, he deſcendeth to one Seruetus, and anſwereth ſeuerally to all his Argumentes: and that both plainely and briefly. This Seruetus obiecteth, that all they abide in death, which beleeue not the Sonne of God, and yt the wrath of God abideth in them:Iohn. 3.36 and therefore Infantes which cannot beléeue, lye in their damnation. But Chriſte ſpeaketh not of the generall giltineſſe wherewith all the poſteritie of Adam are wrapped, but only threateneth the deſpiſers of the Goſpel, which do proudly and ſtubbornly refuſe the grace offered them. Againe he ſayeth, that whoſoeuer is bo…ne of the Spirite, heareth the voice of the Spirite: which is nothing els but that the faythfull are framed to obedience, according as the ſpirite which worketh in them. Although they which are borne of the faythful are by nature damned: yet by ſupernaturall grace, they are ſaued:1. Cor. 7.14▪ but hée alledgeth an Allegorie,2. Sam. 5.8. that Dauid going vp to the Tower of Sion, did leade neither blind mē nor lame men with him, but ſtrong ſouldiours: but the Parable may be ſet againſt it, wherin God calleth to the heauenly banquet, blind men and lame men.
32 To what end Sathan doeth laye ſiege againſt Baptiſme of children, by the Anabaptiſts, that is to ſay, to depriue vsus of the ſingular comfort which commeth thereby, and by litle and litle ſhould take the witneſſe of grace from vsus.