Answer to a Treatise Entitled The Vanity of Childish Baptism, Tract · Answer to preface – Answer to tract
THE ANSWER TO SOME THINGS IN HIS Preface to the READR.
YOu ſay,A. R. that In your ſerious thoughts you minded diverſe places of Scripture, which evidently ſet out Baptiſme to be an undoubted pledge from God to all the right ſubiects to whom it is applied, of the free pardon of ſinnes, Mark 1.4. & 16.16. Act. 2.38. and 22.16. 1 Pet. 3.31.
Anſwer. Anſ. If in your ſerious thoughts you had compared what is ſaid of circumciſion, which is anſwerable to baptiſme, you might have found that it was to the Iewes, Gods Covenant, Gen. 17.10, 11.(which comprehends all the bleſſings of the covenant) Gen. 17.10. A token of the covenant, verſ. 11. A ſigne or ſeale of the righteouſneſſe of faith, Rom. 4 10.Rom. 4.10. And ſo doubtleſſe a pledge of the free pardon and remiſſion of ſinnes, which is comprehended in Gods covenant, and in the righteouſneſſe of faith. And yet circumciſion was adminiſtred unto infants as the right ſubjects thereof.
Secondly,A. R. Baptiſme is deſigned to beleevers onelyonly upon their making profeſſion of faith and willing ſubmiſſion thereunto: this you ſay, you find, Matt. 18.19. Ioh. 3.22. compared with 4.1. Act. 2.41. & 18.12.37.38. & 18.8.
Anſwer. Anſ. Neither you nor any one elſe hath found in thoſe Scriptures, that onelyonly actuall beleevers, and profeſſours of their faith ought to be baptized and none elſe. Where is I pray you the particle onelyonly, or any thing equivalent thereto? None of thoſe precepts or examples limite Baptiſme for all times onelyonly to ſuch: Though ſuch as beleeved and profeſſed the faith be there ſpoken of; will it follow that none elſe have right to baptiſme? The Diſciples are neither forbidden to baptize others but profeſſours of the faith; nor limited to thoſe onelyonly, for ought that can be gathered from thoſe places. Abraham which firſt received the ſeale of circumciſion,Gen. 15.6. with Gen. 17.1, 2, 3, &c. and in his own perſon actually entred into Covenant with God, was endued with the righteouſneſſe of faith, having not as a meere patient, but as an agent accepted the Covenant. Will you thence inferre that onelyonly ſuch ought to be circumciſed under the old Covenant, as had in their own perſons as agents accepted of Gods Covenant, and were endued with the righteouſneſſe of faith,Gen. 17.10, 11. whereof they were to make profeſſion? the Text will confute that inference. Yet your collection is no better from ſome examples of perſons of ripe yeers which were out of the new Covenant before, and were now to be brought under it. Who becauſe they muſt beleeve, and profeſſe their faith before they were baptized; therefore their children though borne of parents within covenant, may not be baptized untill they actually beleeve and profeſſe their faith. For as upon Abrahams beleeving and receiving the Covenant, and ſeale of circumciſion, his family was received into covenant, and all his males circumciſed: ſo we have plaine examples in the New Teſtament of Governours of families, who beleeving and being baptized, had their whole families baptized alſo; where yet there is no word of the faith and profeſſion of any beſides the Governours, as Act. 16.15. & 31.32, 33. 1 Cor. 1.16. as ſhall be ſhewed more fully hereafter, God willing, in due place.
A. R.Thirdly, you ſay, that The right ſubiects of Baptiſme are not to be meerly paſſive, Mat. 3.2.6. Mar. 1.5. Act. 22.16. Gal. 3.27. Col. 2.12. with 3.1.but to performe ſuch duties as are incompatible to infants, and perſons deſtitute of underſtanding.
Anſwer. Anſ. This holds true of thoſe that were to enter firſt into Covenant; as Abraham muſt not be circumciſed before he could in his owne perſon accept Gods Covenant and actually beleeve; but this was not neceſſary to his poſteritie that were borne in Covenant. The like was ſhewed of Baptiſme in the examples foregoing.
A. R.Whereas you ſay, VponUpon theſe conſiderations you could not without unfaithfulneſſe to God and your owne conſcience, but ſuſpect your own baptiſme, &c.
Anſwer. I anſwer. It is not alwaies an argument of faithfulneſſe to God, to pretend to follow the dictates of conſcience; ſuch is the deceitfulneſſe of the heart, and erroneouſneſſe of conſcience; and ſo much ſelf-conceitedneſſe, and wilfulneſſe is in men, for which they will hypocritically pretend conſcience.
A. R.Whereas you ſay, You remaine unſatisfied by our ſtrongeſt Arguments, and are more confirmed thereby in your perſwaſion of the unwarrantableneſſ of the baptizing of infants.
Anſwer. Anſ. This doth no more make againſt a truth, that you are exaſperated to oppoſe by ſo much more, by how much more it is confirmed with Arguments; then the rebellion of our corrupt hearts (by ſo much more reſiſting the Law of God,Rom. 7.8. by how much more powerfully it is preſſed upon us) proveth the Law to be evill.
Whereas you talke ſo much of The invaliditie and inſufficiencie of our Arguments, your faithfulneſſe to God and your conſcience: I hope it ſhall appeare what fidelitie and conſcientiouſneſſe you ſhew in abuſing the Scriptures, and what ſufficiencie and validity there is in your arguments and objections in the following examination. As for your peremptory, raſh and arrogant cenſuring the baptiſme of children to be a meere device of man, introduced and maintained for politique ends by mans ſubtiltie: It is not much to be regarded, ſo long as we know that we muſt not ſtand to your ſentence at the laſt Day.
So much for the Preface. Now to the book it ſelfe.
AN ANSWER TO A TREATISE intituled, The vanitie of Childiſh BAPTISME.
WE will come to your five conſiderations whereby you would prove that, That which is adminiſtred in the Church of England under the name of Baptiſme, is not the Baptiſme of the New Teſtament: and thoſe are, Firſt, the End. Secondly, the Manner. Thirdly, the Power. Fourthly, the Ground. Fifthly, the Subject.