The Grounds and Ends of the Baptism of the Children of the Faithful, Chapter 20
CHAP. XXII.
Silveſter.VVHat ſay you then to the fourth Exception, againſt the Baptiſme received in England, taken from the falſe end, for which it is Adminiſtred, to wit, for the Regeneration of the preſent Infants? And it plainly ſeemeth no otherwiſe to mee, by the prayers and Collects which are appointed to bee read in the booke of the Common Prayer before, and after Baptiſme. For before Baptiſme they pray, that the Infants comming to this holy Baptiſme, might receive remiſſion of ſinnes by ſpirituall Regeneration. And after Baptiſme, the Miniſter is appointed to give thanks upon this ground, that ſeeing theſe children are Regenerate and graffed into the body of Chriſts Congregation &c.
Silvanus.For Anſwer, take theſe two things, and either of them will avoid your acception.
Firſt, That the Church of England doth not adminiſter Baptiſm for this end, to work Regeneration.
Secondly, That though it ſhould aime at ſuch an end, yet that would not make the Baptiſme falſe.
For the fitſt, The Church of England doth profeſſedly teach the contrary Doctrine, not onelyonly in their Pulpits, but in Bookes allowed by publique authority, That the Sacraments doth not beget Faith, nor Regeneration, ex opere operato, but they are ſignes and ſeales of both. Neither do the publique prayers of the Church hold forth their judgement otherwiſe. But as in judgement they doe beleeve, that God by Covenant promiſeth to poure clean water upon us, and upon our ſeed, Ezek. 36.25. Iſa. 44.3. and that he ſealeth the Covenant and promiſe by Baptiſme: So before Baptiſme they pray him to accompliſh this Promiſe according to his Covenant, which God is about to confirme by that ſeale. And after Baptiſme they taking Gods Word and Seale as a Pledge and aſſurance of the thing already done, which will indeed in due time bee done according to the true intent and meaning of Gods Word and Seale, (that is, to the elect ſeed abſolutely, to the naturall ſeed ſufficiently to leave them without excuſe in the offer of the meanes) they therefore give him thankes for it, as done already. When Iſrael heard their redemption out of Egypt, and ſaw the ſignes which Moſes wrought for the confirmation of it, they beleeved and bowed their heads and worſhipped, as if they had ſeen the worke already wrought, which they ſaw onelyonly in the promiſe and in the ſigne, Exod. 4.30, 31. When Gedeon had received the promiſe of deliverance from the Midianites, and ſaw the ſame confirmed by a ſigne (though it were but by a dreame) hee worſhipped God with praiſe and thankſgiving; as if the deliv…rance had beene already wrought, Judges, 7.13, 14, 15. I neede not apply it.
For the Second, Though the Church of England had ſuch a corrupt and falſe end in their Baptiſme (which they have not) as to adminiſter the ſame for the working of Regeneration: yet that would not make it a falſe Baptiſme. The Nature and vertue of the Sacrament doth not depend upon the intention of the Miniſter. The Iewiſh Teachers in the time of Chriſt, and of his Apoſtles had a corrupt and falſe end in Adminiſtring Circumciſion, to wit, as neceſſary to Iuſtification and Salvation, Act. 15. yet that miſbeleife or unbeleife of man did not evacuate the Faith of God, nor the truth of his Ordinance, Rom. 3.3. In the Diſpenſing of any Ordinance of God, a corrupt, or falſe end may vitiate or evacuate any Ordinance to the Diſpenſer himſelfe; not ſo to the receiver; They that preached Chriſt of envy, intending to adde affliction to Pauls Bonds, their intent was corrupt and falſe, and ſo made their Miniſtery unprofitable to themſelves. Nevertheleſſe Paul rejoyced in the preaching of Chriſt even in ſuch a way, Phil. 1.15, 16, 17, 18. which doubtleſſe hee would not have done if the Preaching had beene falſe, and produced onelyonly falſe effects in the people of God.