The Grounds and Ends of the Baptism of the Children of the Faithful, Preface
PREFACE: Shewing the occaſion of the Conference.
BRother Silveſter, I feele your loſſe at my heart, for the love I beare to you, as to your godly Parents before you; I heare God hath lately burnt your houſe over your head, and moſt part of your goods with it. And it troubleth me the more for your ſake, becauſe I feare this hand of God is gone out againſt you, to viſit upon you and your family, your breach of Covenant with the Lord and his People. For though I know that all outward things fall alike to all (the Sheepe and Servants of Job were burnt as well as your houſe: and many a godly man hath been ſtruck with ſickneſſe for his tryall, as well as Moſes for neglect of an Ordinance) yet whilſt Moſes lay under the neglect of an Ordinance, in ſuffering his child to lye by him uncircumciſed,Silvanus. it had been no raſh judgement in others, nor want of holy wiſedome in himſelfe to think, that God by making a breach upon his health, did viſit upon him his breach of Covenant with the Lord, in delaying and neglecting, (though it may bee for his wives ſake) to bring his child under the Seale of the Covenant. Wee may in brotherly love well conceive, that God hath made this B…each in your eſtate, to try your faith and patience, as hee did Jobs. But ſurely it will be your wiſeſt and ſafeſt courſe ſo to conſtrue Gods meaning, That your breach of Covenant with God, did kindle a fire in his wrath, which brake forth upon your houſe, and burnt up ſo great a part of your Eſtate. For even our God (the God of the New Teſtament) is a Conſuming fire, as well to Chriſtians now, as to Jewes of old. And when doth the Iealouſy of God moſt kindle, but againſt the Violation of his Ordinances? which being delivered to us in the 2. Commandement, are ratified by a Sanction from the Iealouſy of the Lord our God. Exod. 20.5. You ſaw, not long before, a like fire of Gods wrath breaking forth in burning the houſes of others of your brethren and neighbours, who had a while before turned aſide into the way ſame of error with your ſelf; which when you tooke no warning by, the ſame fire burſt for that laſt upon your ſelfe. How wiſe and righteous was the hand of the Lord, that when water was neglected to Baptize your child, water ſhould be wanting to quench the fire that conſumed your houſe?
Silveſter.I cannot think, that the delay of my childs Baptiſme could kindle that fire, that burnt up my houſe. For (if I know mine owne heart) I was very ready even at that time, to heare Counſell, and to receive conviction from our Elders and other brethren, if they could ſhew me any errour in this way.
Silvanus.I doubt not your Elders and other brethren have not been wanting to uſe the meanes for your conviction, and ſatisfaction. But if the Lord eſpied an Idoll ſet up in your heart, then he in his juſt diſpleaſure would leave you to ſee nothing, but according to y…ur Idoll. If the heart be once taken with the love of an Errour, it is all one (if not worſe) as not to be taken with the love of t…uth. And in ſuch a caſe, God is wont to the give up the ſoule …o ſtrong deluſions to beleeve lies, 2 Theſ. 2.10, 11. But (beſides your owne Elders and brethren) you wanted not other friends (the Eders and brethren of ſome other Chuches) whom you have been wont to conſult withall in leſſe matters, and them you acquainted not with your ſcruples, which whether: it were out of loathneſſe to grieve them, or out of lothneſſe to be removed from your way, I doe not know.
Silveſter.I am not ſo wedded to my way, but I am willing to heare counſell from the word of God: And therefore neither am I unwilling to acquaint your ſelfe with my ſcruples in this point which I have gathered out of ſome bookes, chiefely out of thoſe which ſeeme to me moſt orthodoxall. For they doe not (as ſome others of that way doe) deny Magiſtrates, nor Predeſtination, nor Originall Sinne: Nor doe they maintaine Freewill in converſion, nor Apoſtaſie from Grace: but onelyonly deny the lawfull uſe of the Baptiſme of children; becauſe it wanteth a word both of Commandement and Example from the Scripture.
It is well that any of that way doe condeſcend ſo farre unto the truth, in theſe controverſies,Silvanus. which doe ſo nearely concerne the grace of Chriſt and power of Godlineſſe and Publike peace. And I am bound in Chriſtian love to beleeve, that they who yeeld ſo farre, doe it out of conſcience, as following herein the Example of the Apoſtle, who profeſſed of himſelfe, and his followers, We can doe nothing againſt the truth, but for the truth. But yet I beleeve withall, that it is not out of love to the truth, that Satan yeeldeth ſo much to the Truth, but rather out of another ground, and (as his manner is) for a worſe end. He knoweth the times, that now (by the good and ſtrong hand of God) they are ſet upon purity and Reformation. And now to plead againſt the Baptiſme of children upon any of thoſe Arminian and Popiſh grounds, which be ſo groſly ungratious, as thoſe above-named, Satan knoweth, and ſeeth they would utterly be reject…d. He chooſeth therefore, rather to play Small Game (as they ſay) then to loſe all. He now relinquiſheth all thoſe groſſe and ungratious tenents, whereby he was wont to plead againſt childrens Baptiſme, and now pleadeth no other Argments in theſe ſtirring times of Reformation then may be urged from a maine Principle of Purity and Reformation, to wit, That no Duty of Gods Worſhip, nor any Ordinance of Religion is to be adminiſtred in the Church, but ſuch as hath juſt warrant from the word of God. And by urging this Argument againſt the Baptiſme of children, Satan transformeth himſelfe into an Angell of light: and the Spirit of Error and Prophaneneſſe into a Miniſter of Truth and Righteouſneſſe. And ſo he hopeth to prevaile, either with thoſe men who doe believe the lawfull and holy uſe of childrens Baptiſme to renounce that Principle, and ſo to renounce alſo all Reformation brought in by it: or elſe, (if they ſtick to that Principle) then to renounce the Baptiſme of children: And ſo the Reformation begun, will neither ſpread farre, nor continue long. For if Godly Parents doe withdraw their children from the Covenant, and from the Seale of the Covenant, they doe make void (as much in as them lyeth) the Covenant both to themſelves, and to their children alſo. And then will the Lord cut off ſuch ſoules from his People. Gen. 17.14 And ſo the Reformation begun with a Bleſſing, will end in a curſe, and in a cutting Separation either of Parents or of children, or of both from the Lord, and his People.
That place in Gen. (17.14) ſpeaketh not of Baptiſme, but of Circumciſion:Silveſter. Between which though there may be ſome Reſemblance in regard of their common Nature, and uſe, yet this difference between them chiefely ſticketh with me, That Abraham and his naturall Poſterity had an expreſſe Commandment and word of Inſtitution from God, for the circumciſing of themſelves and their Infant ſeed; But the Beleevers of the New Teſtament, though they have a Commandment from God to be Baptized themſelves, yet they have neither Commandment, nor Example for the Baptiſme of their Infant ſeed.
It is a Tempting of God, even limiting of the Holy one of Iſrael, Silvanus.to put upon him to deliver his will onelyonly by Commandment or Example, or not at all; As if God might not deliver his will, by promiſe or threatning, by Proportion, or deduction, by Conſequence, as well as by expreſſe Commandment, or Example. What Commandment or Example is their for women to partake of the Lords Supper? yet the Proportion of the Lords Supper with the Paſſeover, and Deduction from ſuch Scriptures as put no difference between male and female, make it to be received as the will and Ordinance of Chriſt, That women able to examine and judge themſelves ſhould partake of the Lords Supper, as well as the men: Every ſhred of Gold hammered, or drawne out of the wedge of Gold, is as well Gold, as the whole lumpe and wedge. Whatſoever is drawn out of the Scripture by juſt conſequence and deduction, is as well the word of God, as that which is an expreſſe Commandment or Example in Scripture. But to helpe you (if the Lord will) over this ſtumbling block (which you ſtick at) the Baptiſme of children is not without a Commandment, and word of Inſtitution from Scripture as may appeare two or three wayes.
Silveſter.Shew me any Commandment, or word of Inſtitution for the Baptiſme of children, and it ſufficeth me.