The Grounds and Ends of the Baptism of the Children of the Faithful, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
THe eighth Argument againſt the Baptiſme of Infant… is, becauſe the ſubject of Baptiſme is to bee Paſſive, but an Infant is no way paſſive, as that Ordinance requir…th. I mean a paſſive ſubject threefold.
1 A thing uncapabl… and thus is a ſtone▪
2 A thing forced, and thus is an Infant who oppoſ…th his Baptiſme to the utmoſt of his ability, ſo farre is it from being paſſive in the ſame.
3 A thing is paſſive by a ſubjecting power producing th… …ame in the ſubject, by bringing it to a free and voluntary ſubjection. And thus is the true ſubject of Baptiſme. None can bee paſſive to receive grace,Silvanus. but by grace, becauſe it conſiſteth of ſelf-denyall: Obedience to Chriſt ought to bee free: but Baptiſme is forced upon an Infant againſt its will.
I will not examine the termes of your Diſtinction of a threefold paſſive ſubject (though I would not have you taken with it) which is indeed, neither Naturall, nor Artificiall, nor ſpirituall. For when you make the firſt ſort of a paſſive ſubject, a thing uncapable, as is a ſtone: I might demand whether you mean uncapable lawfully, or unlawfully. If you mean a ſtone is uncapable lawfully, ſo you conceive children to bee uncapable likewiſe, and all they upon whom Baptiſme is forced. And then the firſt part of your diſtinction, is all one with your ſecond part. And a good diſtinction cannot admit ſuch confuſion. If you mean a ſtone is uncapable of Baptiſme unlawfully, you know the contrary. For the Papiſts doe baptize their Fonts and Altars (which are but ſtones) as well as their Bells, which are not more lawfully capable of Baptiſme then ſtones bee.
Again, when you make your ſecond ſort of your paſſive ſubject of Baptiſme, to bee a forced ſubject, and Infant… to bee ſuch a forced ſubject, as who doe oppoſe it to the uttermoſt ability.
I dare bee bold to ſay, the ſpeech is not generally true. For of thoſe many hundreths which I have ſeen Baptized, though ſome have ſeemed to oppoſe it with crying and ſtrugling, yet I cannot ſay with truth, that either all of them, or moſt of them have ſo done. And for thoſe that have ſo done, I demand whether the Infants in times before Chriſt, when they were circumciſed, did not more generally, and ſtrongly oppoſe their Circumciſion to the uttermoſt of their ability, when they felt much more ſmarting pain in the cutting off of the foreskin of their fleſh, then our children can doe in their Baptiſme? And why may ſuch a forced Iſraelite or Proſelyte bee a capable ſubject of Circumciſion, and not a forced Infant of a Chriſtian bee in like ſort a… well capable of Baptiſme? The Truth is, in adminiſtring either of Circumciſion to the Infants of beleeving Iſraelites, or of Baptiſme to the Infants of beleeving Chriſtian…, reſpect is not had to the voluntary ſubjection of the Infants, but to the fre… and voluntary ſubjection of their Parents. It is enough for Infants, that as they received originall corruption without their own perſonall conſent, but in the will of their firſt Parents: ſo now they receive (through the grace of the Covenant) a remedy againſt their originall corruption without their owne perſonall conſent, but in the will of their parent.
But when you make the Infants oppoſition of his Baptiſme to his uttermoſt ability, a ſigne of its farre diſtance of being paſſive in the ſame.
The truth is by how much the more the Infant oppoſeth his baptiſme, by ſo much the more hee is active againſt it, and therefore being baptized nevertheleſſe, hee is ſo much the more paſſive under it. Your phraſe therefore of a paſſive ſubject of Baptiſme, is ill choſen to expreſſe your meaning, you might have more ſuitably ſaid in plainer termes, None are capable ſubjects of Baptiſme, but ſuch as gladly receive it. And for that you might have had ſome colour from the Word, but that the free and voluntary acts of parents in the matters of the ſecond commandement, are accounted of God for themſelves and their children, as was ſhewed above.
Furthermore, when you exclude Infants from being true paſſive ſubjects to r…ceive Baptiſme, becauſe they are not brought to a free voluntary ſubjection to receive Baptiſme: Doe but conſider a while, what kinde of paſſive ſubjection is found in m…n in their regeneration, whereof Baptiſme is the ſigne. The ſubjects of regeneration, are neither active ſubjects to rec…ive grace, as the Moone is to receive light from the Sunne a (being a lightſome body of it ſelfe) or as a beggar is to receive an Al…es, that ſtretcheth out his hand for it: nor paſſively ſubject, as the aire i… to receive light, which though it bee darke maketh no oppoſition againſt it: but they are forcibly ſubject, as being neither able nor willing to come to Chriſt, except they be drawn, and drawn by the ſame Almighty power, as whereby a dead man is raiſed to life. Now if men bee forcibly ſubject to receive conv…rting grace in their regeneration, there is in it nothing repugnant to the nature of Baptiſme in it ſelfe (which is a ſigne of regeneration) to admit Infant… to it, though they ſhall be forcibly ſubject to i…. This forcible oppoſition to Baptiſme is of ſimple Ignorance, not knowing what …he Ordinance is: and their oppoſition is eaſily overcome by human power. Whereas our oppoſition in receiving regenerating grace is farre more perverſe and untractable, not to be overruled but by a divine Almighty power. It is true, ſuch i… the nature of Baptiſme by Gods Ordinance, that it requireth in men of yeares regeneration and voluntary ſubjection to it, before they can be admitted to it, becauſe to them it is a ſigne and ſeale of regeneration wrought, and of the righteouſneſſe of faith imputed to them. But in Infants the Voluntary ſubjection of Parents in offe…ing them to Chriſt is a ſufficient recommendation of them to him for his acceptance of them unto Baptiſme, becauſe hee accepteth the offer of their parents, as the gift of their children; and becauſe baptiſme is as well a ſigne and ſeale of regeneration, and righteouſnes promiſed; as wrought and beſtowed. For it is a ſigne and ſeale of the Covenant, and ſo of all the bleſſings promiſed in it, amongſt which are regeneration, faith, and forgiveneſſe of ſins, Ier. 31.33, 34. It is true, that you ſay, no man can receive grace, but by grace: not onelyonly (as you ſay) becauſe it conſiſts of ſelf-deniall, but becauſe it conſiſts in laying hold on Chriſt, who above the reach and power of corrupt nature. But it is a grace and favour of Chriſt, that he encourageth parents to come to themſelves, and to bring their children in their Armes to him. And this grace is a bleſſing and favour to the children alſo ſo brought. For the children that were ſo brought to Chriſt, they returned home with a bleſſing, Mark. 10.16.
It is true alſo, which you ſay, that obedience to Chriſt ought to be free.
But when you ſay, Baptiſme is forced upon an Infant againſt his will. It is neither altogether true, not at all materiall. Not true, for it may be Infants doe as often cry, when they are carryed home from Baptiſme, as when they are brought forth to it. And in proper ſpeech, Infants can neither be ſaid, to will, or to nill, what they underſtand not. The will is a faculty of the reaſonable ſoule: Infant… till they have the uſe of Reaſon, they have not the exerciſe of their will. Neither is it materiall, whether Infants bee willing to their Baptiſme, or not ſeeing at that Age God attendeth not to the will of Infants, but to the will of their Parents, and to his owne gratious Covenant, in which he is wont to heale the frowardneſſe, and to take away the uncircumciſion of the heart for hi… Name ſake.