The Infants Advocate of Circumcision and Baptism, Title page 1 – Dedication 2
THE INFANTS Advocate. Of Circumciſion and Baptiſme on
Jewiſh
Chriſtian
Children,
DEUT. 29. 11, 12.
Your little ones—ſhall enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God.
Origen. lib. 5. ad Rom. c. 6.
Eccleſia ab Apoſtolis traditionem accepit parvulis dare Baptiſmum, quia eſſent in omnibus genuinae ſordes peccati.
By THOMAS FULLER, B. D.
LONDON, Printed by R. Norton, for J. Williams, at the Crown in S. Pauls Churchyard. M.DC.LIII.
To the Right Honourable, JAMES EARL of CARLILE, my moſt Bountiful Patron. AND To the Right Honourable, LIONEL EARL of MIDLESEX, my Noble Pariſhioner.
I Shall be cenſured for a Soleciſme, in Dedicating this my Infants Advocate unto your Honours, not only for the meanneſſe of the Preſent, but becauſe the one of you being hitherto Childleſs, and the other not as yet Married, ſeem not ſo proper perſons to be preſented with ſuch a ſubject.
But give me leave to acquaint your Honours, that this my Treatiſe, Janus-like, looks backwards, and forwards; backwards to vindicate and aſſert the lawfulneſſe of their Baptiſm which (now arrived at Maturity) were in their Infancy Baptized; and in this capacity your Honours have an equal concernment in this ſubject with any others.
Forwards, to juſtifie and avouch the acts of thoſe Parents who hereafter ſhall fix the Sacrament on their Infant Children: Your Honors in Gods due time, may for the future be intereſted herein, a favour the more fervently to be deſired from Heaven, both of you being the ſole ſurviving Males of your Families; and the ſingle threds whereon all the hopes of your Noble houſes do depend.
Give me Leave therefore who here am the Advocate to plead for the Baptizing of others, to be alſo the Orator to pray for the Birth of your Children, till which time, may the bleſsings of the right and left hand plentifully fall, and peaceably reſt on you both, which is the daily deſire of
Your Honours moſt obliged and humble ſervant THO. FULLER.
To the Right Worſhipfull, Edward Palmer, Henry Wollaſton, and Matthew Gilly, Eſquires; John Vavaſor, Francis Bointon, Gent. with all the reſt of my Loving Pariſhioners in Waltham Holy-Croſs.
WHen I conſider the many worthy works which had their firſt being within the bounds of this our Pariſh, I may juſtly be aſhamed, that my weak endeavours ſhould be borne in the ſame place.
For firſt, the book of Mr. Cranmer (afterwards Arch-Biſhop of Canterbury, and Martyr) containing the Reaſons againſt King Henry the 8th his Marriage with Queen Katharine Dowager, was compiled in our*Fox Acts and Monuments, page 1860. Pariſh, whileſt the ſaid Cranmer retired hither (in the time of a Plague at Cambridge) to teach his Pupils. Thus did Waltham give Rome the firſt deadly blow in England, occaſioning the Popes primacy to totter therein, till it tumbled down at laſt.
The large and learned works of the no leſſe Religious then Induſtrious Mr. Fox in his book of Martyrs was penned here, leaving his poſterity a conſiderable eſtate at this day poſſeſſed by them in this Pariſh.
What ſhall I ſpeak of the no leſſe pleaſant then profitable pains of Reverend Biſhop Hall (predeceſſor in my place) the main body of whoſe Books bears date from Waltham.
And ſhall my unworthy pamphlet preſume to follow ſuch able works from the ſame place? However ſeeing my publike promiſe is ſolemnly paſt to you, to Print the ſame (hoping ſome profit may thence ariſe to you and others) let it as a Page at due diſtance wait upon the works of thoſe moſt eminent Authors.
Some will ſay this your Infants Advocate hath almoſt been as long in the breeding, and birth, as Infants uſe to lye in their Mothers womb; ſo many moneths hath paſt betwixt the promiſe and performance thereof. But let none grudge the time if it appear at laſt in its perfect ſhape, coming forth ſoon enough for thoſe who will reap benefit thereby; Too ſoon for ſuch who will take cauſleſs offence thereat.
Some perchance will take exception at the plainneſs thereof which by me was purpoſely affected herein. It is a good leſlon which may be learned from the mouth of a bad maſter, even Rayling*2 Kings 18. 27. Rabſhakeh, not to deliver a meſſage of publick concernment, in a language which a few Courtiers only do underſtand, but in a tongue whereby all the people on the wall may partake thereof. And ſeeing the generality of our oppoſers are unlearned, I conceived it my duty to decline all difficult words and phraſes, that all might more eaſily and perfectly perceive the truth therin.
Some perchance might expect a confutation of their practice which are Re-baptized; a task needleſs for me to perform. For ſuch repetition of Baptiſm will follow of courſe to be vain, if not wicked, unneedful if not unlawful; where the lawfulneſs and needfulneſs of Infants Baptiſm hath formerly been proved. Baptiſm once wel done on Infants, I may ſay, is twice done, which twice done is once ill done, namely when it is iterated the ſecond time without any juſt reaſon for the ſame.
What remains (dear Pariſhioners) but that I pray that my weak Preaching may be powerful and profitable unto you, that you may do and ſuffer cheerfully according to the will of God; Remember the addition of the name of your Pariſh, HOLY CROSSE: It matters not though Croſſe be the ſur-name, if Holy be the Chriſtian name of our ſufferings: whileſt that God who ſendeth them ſanctifieth them unto us, which is the daily prayer of
Your unworthy Paſtor in Jeſus Chriſt, THO. FULLER.