The Infants Advocate of Circumcision and Baptism, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. The firſt Reaſon for the Baptizing of Infants, taken from the Analogie of Circumciſion.
THe firſt Reaſon for Infants Baptiſm is grounded on proportion of Circumciſion in this manner. If that the children of Jews were admitted to Circumciſion, and thereby made members of the Church; the children of Chriſtians ought to be admitted to Baptiſm, and thereby be made members of the ſame. But the children of the Jews were admitted to Circumciſion, &c. therefore the children of Chriſtians ought to be admitted to Baptiſm.
Herein the Major which alone is ſubject to doubt and debate, may be proved by what formerly was explained, in Baptiſms ſucceeding to all eſſentials of Circumciſion.
Object. To this your arguing from proportion of Circumciſion is of no validity; yea, and of very dangerous conſequence: For on the ſame account you may extend the Analogie to the reviving of all the Jewiſh Ceremonies, long ſince dead and rotten in the grave of our Saviour; Such Necromancy in Conjuring up the Ghoſts of dead Judaiſm, is unlawful of it ſelf, and prejudicial to Chriſtian liberty; ſhould we be put under the Goſpel to ſuch ſlaviſh conformity, as to practice ſomething parallel to each Ceremony in the old Teſtament.
Anſw. We confeſſe this exception true and juſt, had Circumciſion been but a bare Ceremony and no more; But Circumciſion had in it more of what was Sacramental then Ceremonious. The Ceremonious part thereof is utterly extinct, and dyed Iſſueleſs. But the Sacramental or Goſpel part thereof, as it contained an everlaſting Covenant made with Abrahams ſeed; that is, all true believers, may be ſaid to ſurvive, in Baptiſm the true heir thereof; Sacramenta non moriuntur, Sacraments die not, (whileſt the Church Militant is alive) nor is there any intervals betwixt them; Baptiſm immediately ſucceeding Circumciſion, as is before declared.
Proceed we to prove the former Argument with a new Syllogiſm; They who once in Circumciſion were made members of the Church, and never ſince were ſolemnly outed of the ſame, remain ſtill in the ſtate of their memberſhip: But Circumciſed Children under the Jews were made members of the Church, and never ſince were ſolemnly outed of that condition; Therefore they ſtill remain members.
Here the Minor alone is expoſed to ſuſpition of falſhood; and that only in the later part thereof: Now let the denyers of it aſſign the time, place, manner, and perſons, when, where, how, and by whom they were caſt out of that memberſhip. Sure I am, ſeeing the old Teſtament leaves them in peaceable poſſeſſion thereof; And no firm ejection of them appears in the new Teſtament; it muſt needs be ſome Apocrypha writing, or forged deed, which depriveth them of their true title thereunto, and tenure thereof.
For the further clearing hereof, Let us ſuppoſe, a Jew about the time of S. Paul converted into a Chriſtian, and ſoon after made father to a ſon. If this child in his infancy may not be admitted to Baptiſm, what cauſe had it no leſſe juſtly then Grievouſly to complain? Might it but borrow a tongue from the ſtanders by, how pathetically would it expoſtulate his condition? Alas, how ſad is my eſtate? My father being but a Jew, was at eight days old made a member of the Church by Circumciſion: His infancy was no bar and obſtacle unto him, to render him uncapable of the Covenant. I had thought now my Father is turned Chriſtian, that the Child ſhould not be impaired becauſe his father is improved? Is a Chriſtians ſon found in a worſe caſe then a Jews ſon was left? I thought the alteration of our condition by Chriſts coming was to perfect not diminiſh what we had before? Chriſtianity may be a good Religion for men to die in, but Judaiſm was better for Children to be born in: We Infants who ſignified ſome. thing under the Law, are made cyphers under the Goſpel, no notice being taken of us, until we are arrived unto years of diſcretion.
This complaint might be largely proſecuted with more earneſtneſſe, but a word is enough, the rather if we conſider what S. Paul ſaith, Heb. 8. 6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent miniſtry, by how much alſo he is a mediator of a better covenant, which was eſtabliſhed upon better promiſes. What a Scale of melioration have we here, better, and better, excellent, and more excellent. But if Children ſince Chriſts coming are excluded the Covenant, which were admitted unto it before, his is a leſs excellent Miniſtry, & he the Mediator of a worſe Covenant upon worſe promiſes, ſeeing the ſame is not extended now as formerly, to all ages, Sexes and conditions of people, (children, included under the Law) being omitted therein?
Now though many Infants of Bethlehem, and the coaſts thereabouts, Mat. …. ſuffered for him, ſurely none ſuffered by him. But he continued their condition as good, yea, and bettered the ſame by his Incarnation. He who himſelf was a childe, as well as a man, and a childe before he was a man, did tender and improve the condition of children as wel as of men; and leaving this we now proceed to a ſecond Reaſon out of Scripture.