The Grounds and Ends of the Baptism of the Children of the Faithful, Chapter 21 – Chapter 22
CHAP. XXI.
THE Fifth exception againſt the Baptiſme received in England, Silveſter.taken from the falſe ſubject (meaning Infants) I am loth to trouble you any more with that, wee have had already ſpeach enough for the preſent about it. But becauſe I meete with a further doubt about it, which ſtumbleth many, I pray you ſpeake a word further to it. The true ſubject of Baptiſme, is beleevers: and though you adde, their ſeed alſo, yet beleevers are the principall ſubject. But now all the people of England being Baptized in their Infancy, it is now come to paſſe, that the Baptiſme of beleevers is utterly abandoned out of England. And if all other Churches did the like (as generally they doe, except it bee a few… whom the reſt doe commonly, but falſely call Anabaptiſts) then the Baptiſme of beleevers would utterly be abandoned out of the world.
Silvanus.Our anſwer is ready in two or three words.
Firſt, If Infants themſelves bee beleevers (as ſome of them be, or elſe all of them be damned, Mark. 16.16.) then in baptizing all the Infants of the faithfull, the Baptiſme of ſome beleevers is continued in them.
Secondly, If all the people of England bee baptized, and many of them bee beleevers, then ſuppoſing (as hath beene proved) the Baptiſme of the ſeed of beleevers to bee lawfull, there is no beleever in England, nor in any ſuch like Church in the world, that is left unbaptized.
Thirdly, If a beleever bee not in Gods account baptized himſelfe, till his ſeed bee baptized alſo, (as hath been ſhewed above) then abandon the Baptiſme of the ſeed of beleevers (two wit, the Baptiſme of Infants) out of the world, and abandon the baptiſme of beleevers out of the world, neither is there any conpetent, reaſon, that ſhould exclude Infants (the ſeed of beleevers) from being capable and competent ſubjects of baptiſme, as well as their beleeving Parents.
For firſt, They are conſoederates with God (partakers of his Covenant) as well as their parents. I will bee (ſaith God) a God unto thee, and to thy ſeed.
Secondly, They are Diſciples of Chriſt, Holy, Freeborne, receivers of the Kingdome of God, as hath beene opened above.
Thirdly, There is no Impediment in them to the Grace offered in Baptiſme, but what by Grace they are capable of the removall thereof.
For firſt, Their a verſion from God is Habituall, not actuall: and therefore the pouring forth of the habit of Grace into them may remove it, which the Holy Ghoſt is wont to doe in the waſhing of Regeneration, Tit. 3.5, 6.
Secondly, Their ſin was by the fall of their firſt parents, therefore their reſtoring may bee by the faith of their next parents. God is wont to obſerve ſuch a proportion, in Captivity, and Redemption; Yee ſold your ſelves for nought, and ye ſhall bee redeemed without money, Iſa. 52.….
Thirdly, Leſt the want of ability to make prof…ſſion of their faith, ſhould have bee taken up for an Impediment of their Baptiſm, God himſelfe profeſſeth in their behalfe, that they are holy, the Diſciples of Chriſt, Partakers of his Covenant, Receivers of his Kingdome.
In a word therefore, If by all this conference, (that wee have had together) it may appeare, that the Infants of beleevers are true and capable Subjects of Baptiſme; then ſuch as having beene baptized in their Infancy, ſhall afterwards receive another Baptiſme, they are as well juſtly as commonly called Anabaptiſt…: that is, ſuch as are rebaptized, when they were once truly baptized before.
CHAP. XXII.
I Will reply no more for the preſent, OnelyOnly this let mee ſay,Silveſter. I finde my ſelfe by Grace able to beleeve for my ſelf, but not ſo well able to beleeve for my Children.
I deny not, but that is poſſible,Silvanus. that a Chriſtian man may beleeve ſome promiſes, when hee cannot ſo readily beleeve others.
But firſt beleeve it, it is a ſinne to us, not to beleeve all the gratious promiſes which the Lord maketh to us Zacharias could not beleeve that hee ſhould have a ſonne, no not when a ſonne was promiſed him; but yet the Lord did not faile to performe his promiſe and chaſtened him for that unbeleife, Luke 1.18, 19, 20.
Secondly The former leaving of your judgement againſt the Baptiſme of, your ſeed, is ſuch a killing ſinne to the life of the Covenant (as much as in you lyeth) that till you doe unfeignedly repent of it, the Lord may juſtly leave you to ſtraitneſſe of heart, and unbeleife in the promiſe for your childe.
Thirdly, Notwithſtanding the ſtraitneſſe of your heart and Faith towards your childe, yet if you ſubmit your ſelfe and childe unto the Lord, and to his Covenant and to the ſeale thereof, the Lord knoweth how to performe his promiſes with us, and our children, not onelyonly above what wee can beleev…, but above all that wee can aske or thinke. Eheſ. 3.20.
Fourthly, Remember you had a faithfull Father▪ and gratious Mother, whom God did inable to beleeve for themſelves, and for their children to many Generations. God is not wanting to reſpect children for the Covenant of their Fore-fathers, when their next Fathers may bee ſtraitned towards them, Rom. 11.28.
Fifthly▪ Remember alſo, that Sarah, though ſhee beleeved not the promiſe of God for a childe at the firſt, but laughed at it, (Gen. 18.12, 13, 14.) yet afterwards by meditation upon the promiſe, and upon the faithfulneſſe and power of him, that made it, ſhee at length received ſtrength both of faith to beleeve the promiſe, and of body to conceive ſeed, becauſe ſhe judged him faithfull who had promiſed, Heb. 11.11. Follow her Godly example, meditate on all the gratious promiſes have beene alledged, and ſuch other grounds of Faith in this point, which have beene (by the helpe of Chriſt) propounded to you: and who knoweth, but you may receive of Chriſt ſtrength of Faith, to beleeve as for your ſelfe, ſo for your childe, and be ready to offer it up (as your faithfull parents offered you) to the Lord, and to his Covenant, and to the ſeale thereof? That ſo God may bring upon you, and upon yours, all the good that hee hath promiſed to them that love him, and keepe his Ordinanc…s: and may prevent and keepe of thoſe fruits of his wrath and jealouſy, wherewith hee is wont to viſit the ſinnes of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth Generation. For the Lord even our God, is a jealous God, a conſuming Fire.
Conſider what I ſay, and the Lord give you underſtanding in all things.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Cotton, The Grounds and Ends of the Baptism of the Children of the Faithful (1647)