The Grounds and Ends of the Baptism of the Children of the Faithful, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
A Ninth and laſt Argument againſt the Baptiſme of Infants is, that the doctrine thereof oppoſeth directly the expreſſe word of God, by teaching that Infants are in the Covenant of grace being borne of beleeving parents, and ſo an holy ſeed, by vertue of which they have right to Baptiſme as a Priviledge of Grace, againſt which the Holy Ghoſt affirmes, that all are conceived in ſinne, brought forth in iniquity, and ſo by nature the children of wrath and under curſe, and except they bee borne againe from above, they cannot ſee the Kingdome of God, Pſal. 51.5. Epheſ. 2.1, 2, 3. Rom. 3.9. Gal. 3.10.13, 14. Iohn 3.3.5, 6. Joh 1.12, 13. Here man ſaith, that Infants are cleane and holy in and from the wombe, and ſo are ſubjects of grace and glory: but God ſaith, that all Infants, one as well as another, are firſt in ſinne and unholy, and ſo are ſubjects of wrath, untill the ſecond birth make the difference, Joh. 3.5, 6. And now which to beleeve, let the upright to God judge.
This whole Argument hath received a full anſwer above,Silvanus. wee freely acknowledge what the Lord ſaith, and as wee beleeve wee profeſſe▪ That all of us, wee and our children, are conceived in ſinne, and borne in iniquity; by nature the children of wrath and under the curſe as well as others, nor can wee ſee the kingdome of God, nor partake in any ſaving mercies of the Covenant, except wee bee borne againe from above: which is all that your alledged Scriptures hold forth touching this point. But this we ſay withall as the Holy Ghoſt alſo doth, That though this bee the condition of us all by nature, yet by the grace of the Covenant God is a God to us, and to our ſeed: and therefore by the faith of either beleeving Parent, the children are holy, and ſo have the like right to Baptiſme, as the children of Abraham had to Circumciſion, Baptiſme being now appointed to us by God in the roome of Circumciſion to them. All which have been cleared above, in opening ſundry Scriptures that ſpeake to this purpoſe. Gal. 3.13, 14▪ 15, 16. Act. 2.39. 1 Cor. 7.14. Col. 2.11, 12. which it were needleſſe to expound again, unleſſe I know what would bee further objected againſt that which hath beene gathered out of them.
It is a notorious falſhood to ſay, That becauſe wee hold Infants duplicate page duplicate page of beleeving Parents to bee holy by the Covenant, that therefore wee hold them to bee ſo clean and holy in and from the wombe, as to exempt them from Originall ſinne, and to make them ſubjects of grace and glory. For though wee did hold that all the Infants of beleeving Parents, were regenerate from the wombe, (which wee doe not) yet that would not hinder the t…uth of the Text, that they were conceived in ſinne, and borne in iniquity: nor would it argue, that wee hold them to bee ſo cleane and holy from the wombe, as to bee without ſinne. No, no, wee doe beleeve, that the moſt holy regenerate Saints on earth are uncleane, and ſinfull from the wombe, and are ſtill ſuch, defiled with originall ſinne, and the fruits thereof, even after they bee Regenerate; and though wee ſay that ſome of the Infants of beleeving Parents have beene regenerate from the wombe (as Ieremy, John Baptiſts and others) and accordingly that they were ſubjects of ſaving grace and glory: yet wee never denyed, but doe conſtantly beleeve, that they alſo were conceived in ſinne and borne in iniquity, and were by nature the children of wrath, as well as others, elſe what need ſhould they have of reconciliation and Atonement by Chriſt? But as for other children of beleeving Parents which are not regenerate by the Holy Ghoſt (as they were) from the wombe, wee doe beleeve and hold, that though they be the ſubjects of the common grace of the Covenant, and ſo have right to the ſeale and ſigne thereof: yet we doe not hold them to bee ſubjects of ſaving grace, much leſſe of glory, (as you doe pretend) but to bee ſtill carnall till the Lord bee pleaſed to apply the ſaving grace of his Covenant to them in their regeneration, which hee doth to all that belong to his election of grace, and that according to his Covenant in due time. Now therefore when you put it to the upright in heart to judge, which to beleeve, whether your ſelves, or us, as you ſtate the difference, wee deſire the Lord not to lay it to your charge at the day of his righteous judgement, that you put ſuch a falſe and fraudulent queſtion to the Iudgement of the upright.
But becauſe I doe from my heart unfeignedly deſire your full ſatisfaction in this great point of Chriſtian practiſe which doth ſo neerely concerne the free paſſage of the grace of the Covenant, both to you and your children, tell mee yet, if there yet be left any ſtumbling blocke in your way which might hinder the preſenting of your Infants to the Lords waſhing in the laver of Baptiſme.