The Infants Advocate of Circumcision and Baptism, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. The Sixth Reaſon, drawn from the conſtant Practice of Chriſtian Churches in all Ages; what credit is to be given to a Primitive Cuſtome.
I Shall now be challenged by ſuch, who herein diſſent in judgement from me, for breach of promiſe, ſtarting from my own principles; that having promiſed Reaſons out of Scripture, I flie now to Church-Practice, and Ancient Tradition. Wherefore to vindicate my ſelf, & (which is far more conſiderable) the Truth herein, I will firſt prove by Gods aſſiſtance, by Reaſon out of Scripture, that the Practice of the Catholique Church, in all Places, and at all Times, (eſpecially in ſuch matters, wherein nothing appears contrary in Gods Word) obligeth all conſcientious Chriſtians to the obſervation thereof. And in the next Chapter we wil ſhew, that the Baptizing of Infants hath been the uninterrupted Cuſtome of the Church.
Be it premiſed, that if we look on Cuſtomes ſimply in themſelves, we ſhall find them generally, like the men of Sodom, not ten good ones, amongſt the many thouſands of them. For what is Cuſtome, but the practice of moſt men time out of mind. Now ſeeing moſt men, yea, all men by Nature, Gen. 6. 5. have the imaginations of their hearts evil, and that not for a day, week, or year; but, as the Text ſaith, continually; no wonder if Cuſtomes be commonly wicked. Yea, ſuch errours, and vices, which at the firſt are ſoft, and ſupple, pliable to Reproof, and ſenſible of Refutation, contract an hardneſſe, by cuſtome, in continuance of time; yea, get an incruſtation, and ſuch ſcales over them, that they become impenetrable to Scripture and Reaſon brought againſt them. And as Lahan deceived plaindealing Jacob, in his Marriage, Gen. 29. 26. by pleading the cuſtome of the Country, ſo it is confeſſed, that too many in all Ages, in matters both of faith and fact, have alledged Cuſtome to Patronize their erroneous opinions, and injurious practiſes.
But all this ought not to beget in us a neglect of ſuch Cuſtomes, which like Melchiſedec, are Heb. 7. 3. without father, without mother, without diſcent; whoſe firſt original cannot be found out; as practiſed in the Church, time out of mind; no remembrance, or record extant to the contrary. Now as Melchiſedec, in the ſame place, is ſaid to have neither beginning of dayes, and what neceſſarily followeth thence, nor end of life; ſo it is but juſt and equal that ſuch Ancient Cuſtomes in the Church, which never had memorable Riſe, ſhould never have Fall therein; but that ſuch which probably began at the firſt, ſhould conſtantly be continued till the laſt coming of our Saviour.
Here I plead not for ſuch miſ-ſhapen Cuſtomes, which either run up all in length, narrow, and ſlender, which (though long in uſe) never extended to any wideneſs in the Chriſtian World; or elſe ſo low, and thick, they only ſpread in bredth, (as many Popiſh Cuſtomes, generally, but not anciently uſed) but never ſhot up to the juſt ſtature of Primitive Antiquity. We only defend ſuch wel-grown Cuſtomes which I call ſquare ones, (the form of firmneſs and ſtability) whoſe height and bredth are well proportioned, put in ure by Chriſtians at all times, and in all places; conceiving we can demonſtrate it, by reaſon from Scripture, that ſuch Cuſtomes muſt be preſumed, grounded on the word and will of God.
For proof whereof we produce Gods promiſe, and Lo I am with you always unto the end of the world, Amen. Mat. 28. 20. Every operative word herein deſerves our ſerious conſideration
I am with you unto the end: I am, A verb of the preſent, joyned with words of the future tenſe; to ſhew Gods Inſtantaneous aſſiſtance in every moment of extremity, Pſal. 46. 1. God is our ſtrength and refuge a very preſent help in trouble.
With you: This cannot be meant only of the Diſciples perſonally, none of them living to the end of the world, ſeeing John himſelf, (the ſurviver of the whole Jury) died about the year of our Lord▪ 102. It is therefore meant extenſively of the Diſciples, as they were an immortal corporation. With you: Selves, and ſucceſſours, perſons, and poſterity. As Chriſt: John 17. 20. Did not pray for theſe alone, ſo here he did not promiſe to theſe alone; but to them alſo which ſhould believe on him through their word.
Theſe words, To be with you, import not only a promiſe of protecting them from all dangers, but alſo of directing them in all doctrines, neceſſary to be believed and practiſed for their ſalvation. And this promiſe being made not ſo much to the particular perſons, as to the collective body of the Church, is not ſo effectually performed to every individual Chriſtian, as to the Univerſal Church, which amounteth from them all.
We confeſſe that notwithſtanding the foreſaid promiſe of protection and direction, many good men have been guilty of great errours, and have alſo fallen by Gods permiſſion, and juſt puniſhment of their ſins into grievous dangers. However Divine goodneſſe ſo doubleth his Files about his Church in general, that he will not ſuffer the ſame to be univerſally infected in all Ages with any one dangerous Errour. And therefore a Church Cuſtome in all times and places, muſt be preſumed conformable to the will of God, becauſe were it erroneous, it were utterly inconſiſtent with that ſolemn promiſe which God hath paſſed to his Church, to be with them unto the worlds end.
Such who on the contrary ſide are highly opinioned of their private Judgements, and will not confide in the Univerſal Cuſtomes of the Church: I know not whether therein they do ſhew more want of Charity in condemning ſo many Chriſtians at once, or plenty of pride in overprizing their own judgements; or ſtore of profaneneſſe in doubting, yea, denying the performance of Gods promiſe ſo ſolemnly made of his protecting preſence in the Church, who ſurely will diſpatch and deſtroy an errour therein, before it grow up to be ſo long liv'd as to become a Cuſtome.
What a high valuation S. Paul ſet on Church Cuſtomes, appears by his expreſſion, 1 Cor. 11. 16. But if any man ſeem to be contentious, we have no ſuch cuſtome, neither the Churches of God: For the better underſtanding whereof, know that the Corinthians were guilty of an innovation▪ wherein they were an exception from the rule of the general practice in all Chriſtian Churches: The Innovation was this, that their women uſed to pray uncovered, the men covered; that is, as it is generally interpreted, the women with ſhort, the men with long hair. This ill faſhion S. Paul confutes with ſeveral reaſons drawn from the power of man over his wife, appealing alſo to natural decencie therein. And at laſt concludes all with this cloſe; But if any ſeem to be contentious, we have no ſuch Cuſtome, nor yet the Churches of God. As if he had ſaid, could you Corinthians preſcribe any cuſtome, that in Gods Churches grave and godly men and women have prayed as you do, the former covered the latter uncovered. Then ſhould you alledge much in your own juſtification. But I am confident on the contrary, that no ſuch cuſtome can be produced, and therefore your ſingularity, is condemned by the joynt practice of all Gods Churches againſt them.
Object. Theſe words, But if any man ſeem to be contentious, we have no ſuch cuſtome, neither the Churches of God; Import only, that Gods Churches have no cuſtome to be contentious: Chriſtians ought to be of a quiet and peaceable mind, and not to delight in vain janglings and diſſentions.
Anſw. This cannot be the meaning of the words: For was ever man ſo ſilly as to ſuppoſe and conceive that Gods Churches ſhould be ſo irrational as to have a ridiculous cuſtome of being contentious? The Church is ſo far from having ſuch cuſtome (which is a habit reſulting from many acts) that it condemneth each ſingle act of cauſeleſſe contention as wicked and ungodly. Yea, no civilized eſtate, though conſiſting of meer Pagans, ever had any cuſtome to be contentious, or did ever delight in Barrettors: More then muſt be meant herein, that Gods Churches had never any ſuch Cuſtome for the two Sexes ſo to pray as the Corinthians did, who herein ran counter to the Univerſal practice of Chriſtianity; the Apoſtle naming Churches in the Plural, which are the ſingle inſtruments (as the whole Church is the conſort) all of them harmoniouſly agreeing in this cuſtome, ſave only the jarring Corinthians, who are out of tune by themſelves.
If a Church cuſtome carried weight with it in S. Pauls time, when amongſt Chriſtians it could not be above fourty years ſtanding; what a reverence is due to thoſe cuſtomes which have continued in Gods Church above ſixteen hundred years, amongſt which the Baptizing of Infants is a principal; and if S. Pauls argument followed negatively, women ought not pray uncovered, becauſe the Church hath no ſuch cuſtome; the conſequence is no leſſe ſtrong from the affirmative, Children ought to be Baptized, becauſe the Church in all ages hath had ſuch a Custome; The proving whereof is the ſubject of the enſuing Chapter.