The Infants Advocate of Circumcision and Baptism, Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. Other Objections Anſwered.
THe Grand Objections thus cleared, ſuch as remain will be eaſily ſatisfied, as followeth.
Object. It is pride and preſumption for any to account themſelves fitter and forwarder for Baptiſm, then Chriſt himſelf was. Now Chriſt himſelf was not Baptized, Luke 3. 23. till he began to be about thirty years of Age, none ought therefore to prevent that date of time in their Baptiſm.
Anſw. Though Chriſt was not baptized till thirty years of Age, remember he was circumciſed, Luke 2. 21. on the eighth day. Secondly, Chriſt was not Baptized out of neceſſity, (needing no ſoul-phyſick, who had no ſoul-ſickneſſe) but a voluntary deſign to Baptize baptiſm, and to give a ſoveraign vertue thereunto. Thirdly, Many of Chriſts actions were for our inſtruction, not imitation. Chriſt preſently after his Baptiſm faſted fourty days, and fourty nights, which the urgers of this argument will not pretend unto.
Diſcover we here a corruption too rife in all our hearts: Such is the frowardneſſe of our croſſe-grain'd nature, that we lazily ſtand ſtill and admire ſuch actions of Chriſt, which we ought to follow, and vainly ſtrive to follow thoſe his actions which we ought to admire. Oh that we all would learn of him, Mat. 11. 29. to be meek and lowly of heart, to think more humbly of our ſelves, and more charitably of others; I ſay would we could learn this thing of Chriſt, and leave ſuch things to Chriſt, which were perſonal in him, and not precedential to us.
Object. Had Chriſt in his judgement, allowed, and approved the baptizing of Infants, ſurely he would have baptized ſuch children, which, Mark 10. were brought unto him, whereas his omiſſion thereof, plainly argues Chriſts disaffection to the ſame.
Anſw. Chriſt in his own perſon Baptized none at all, as we read, John 4. 2. an office improper for him to perform. How unfit had it been for our Saviour thus to Baptize thoſe Infants, I Jeſus Baptize this Infant into the Name of Jeſus? If S. Paul accounted it beneath his place to Baptize, 1 Cor. 1. 17. For Chriſt ſent me not to Baptize, but to preach the Goſpel: How much was the miniſtration thereof too mean for our Saviour? Indeed Christ came in all humility, to be a pattern of patience unto us, and condeſcended to mean imployments, as (John 13. 5.) the waſhing of his Diſciples feet; yet alwayes he obſerved, (though not ſtate) decency in all his actions, and ſtood much, though not on the pomp, on the propriety of what he performed; as here in his declining to Baptize any. When a Lord hath ſigned a Letter with his own hand, it is uſual with him to conſign the ſealing thereof to his Secretary or ſome other ſervant; ſo when Chriſt had inſtituted Baptiſm, and with his own hand confirmed the ſoveraign vertue of that Sacrament, it well befitted his dignity to command, and his diſciples duty to perform the adminiſtration thereof.
Object. Grant that Chriſt, for the reaſons by you alledged, concluded it unfitting for himſelf to Baptize thoſe Infants, yet had he approved Pedo-baptiſm in his own judgement, he would have deſigned ſome of his Diſciples for the doing thereof. This not done, we may infallibly infer his diſlike of the ſame.
Anſw. A negative argument of this nature is of no validity. No mention is made of theſe Infants Baptizing. Ergo, they were not Baptized: we may obſerve a gradation in the Evangeliſts relating this ſtory, Luke 18. 17. mentioneth their bleſſing only without any manner of geſture at all uſed by our Saviour unto them. Mat. 19. 15. only takes notice that Chriſt laid his hands on them, and departed thence, Mark 10. 16. regiſtreth all three remarkable actions, He took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and bleſſed them; Saint John addeth, chap. 21. 21. And there are alſo many other things which Jeſus did, which are not written, amongſt which for ought appears to the contrary, the Baptizing of theſe infants might be one of them. However grant they were not formally and ſolemnly Baptized, yet we may obſerve Baptiſm conſiſteth of two parts, the application of water, which we may call the body, and the impreſſion of the bleſſing, which we may terme the ſoul of Baptiſm. The later which indeed was the principal, was here conferr'd on babes, which ſhews them capable of the other, as being the leſſe Spiritual part of the Sacrament.
Object. Sacraments ought not to be proſtituted to profane perſons, Mat. 7. 6. caſt not pearls before ſwine; But many Infants are impious and profane, therefore they ought not to be Baptized.
Anſw. This Objection may with equal advantage, be alſo enforced againſt the Baptizing of men arrived at years of diſcretion, many of them are profane in their hearts, though they cunningly diſſemble the ſame. Hypocrites will never be kept out of the Church; Be the doors thereof barr'd and bolted never ſo cloſe, they will creep in at the windows; yea, through the chinks and creveſſes thereof: As for Infants, Baptiſm ought to be denyed unto them if they manifeſted any profaneneſſe: Till which time charity commands us to believe them not Swine, but Lambs, and capable of the Sacrament.
Object. Children are unable to diſcharge an eſſential requiſite to Baptiſm: Seeing what equipage Baptiſm is martialled by Chriſts own Commiſſion, Mat. 28. 19, 20.
1. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations.
2. Baptizing in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghoſt, &c.
3. Teaching them to obſerve all things whatſoever I have commanded you.
Here we have the ſafe and ſure poſition of Baptiſm as God himſelf ordered it: It is placed in the middle betwixt adouble teaching, one in the front, and another in the rear thereof; a precedent teaching muſt uſher in Baptiſm, and the ſubſequent teaching muſt afterwards wait upon it; Children therefore being incapable of this praevious and preparative teaching are incapable alſo of Baptiſm which dependeth thereupon.
Anſw. The method preſcribed here by Chriſt to his Apoſtles, was only to be uſed by them in their preaching to pure Pagans grown up to be men, and this their commiſſion properly extended unto the Gentiles, foreign.
foreign, Going therefare, that is in due time leaving this land of Paleſtine, (wherein you live for the preſent) when you ſhall be accompliſhed with the Spirit, make your progreſſe into far diſtant parts, and there teach.
foreign, All Nations, the word properly importing Heathens formerly unacquainted with God & his word. Such people muſt firſt be taught before they may be Baptized.
This text therefore may juſtly be charged againſt the Papiſts in America, where thouſands of Natives were cruelly driven with whips to the Font to be baptized, before they were ever Catechized in any rudiments of Chriſtian Religion, but cannot at all be objected againſt the baptizing of infants, the children of Chriſtian parents; the teaching of Heathen (and thoſe of full age) being only intended in this command.
Thus have we given the true and genuine ſence of theſe words, Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them, &c. However we will not omit another interpretation which godly Divines give thereof, conſonant to Scripture phraſe. They render the word foreign, make diſciples, in which ſence they maintaine that infants are capable of diſciple-ſhip, and may be inliſted therein. For proof hereof they produce Acts 15. 10. why tempt ye God, to put a yoak upon the neck of the diſciples. Now this yoak was Circumciſion, which ſome ſtickled ſo zealouſly for, and theſe diſciples were infants eight days old on whom that Sacrament was faſtened. In this ſence children may be taught, that is, diſcipled before baptiſm, and ſo the text nothing favouring the purpoſe of the objectors, though I rather adhere to the former anſwer, as moſt proper to the text.
Here will it be ſeaſonable to interpoſe an admonition to parents. You ſee in Chriſts commiſſion to his Diſciples, the Divine method in diſpenſation of ordinances to Ethnicks: 1. Teach. 2. Baptize. 3. And Teach. But towards the children of Chriſtian parents, it is, 1. Baptize. 2. Teach and teach. What is wanting in the precedent, Teach, let it be ſupplied over and above in the conſequent Teach, to make amends for the preparatory Teach, before baptiſm (whereof infants age is incapable) let there be a duplicate, double your endeavours in the confirming Teach, ſo ſoon as they ſhal be able to learn. Line upon line, Precept upon precept▪ here a little, and there a little, dropping in inſtruction as the veſſel is able to receive.
foreign in Scripture, (as we have formerly obſerved (always ſignifieth a ſucking child: Now it is ſaid of Timothy, 2 Tim. 3. 15. that foreign from a childe he had known the holy Scriptures▪ Not when a childe, but from a child. Infancy was the terminus à quo, from whence his learning of Scripture bears date: How timely did he ſtart in the race of Religion, by the direction of his devout parents, who herein may be exemplary unto all others.
Now let parents think to caſt off their care on thoſe who are Sponſores or Suſceptores, Godfathers to their children: as I deny not an ancient and uſeful inſtitution of them in the Primitive times, ſo can I not but bemoan, that our age hath turned the ſame into a formality or Chriſtian complement: Judah ſaid to Simeon, Judg. 1. …. Come up with me into my lot, and I likewiſe will go up with thee into thy lot; So men exchange and barter this office betwixt them, anſwer thou for my child to day, and I on like occaſion will anſwer for thine, the civility is diſcharged by both, when the chriſtianity too oft is performed by neither: I look therfore on Godfathers generally, as on braſſe Andirons, ſtanding more for ſight then ſervice, ornament, then uſe, whiles the main weight and ſtreſſe in performing the promiſe, muſt lie on the parents themſelves do diſcharge, in teaching and teaching their Baptized Infants.
Object. The deaf and dumb are not to be admitted to Baptiſm, though adult and full grown, becauſe of their inability to give an account of their faith: But children are ranked in the ſame form with the deaf and dumb, therefore they ought not to be admitted unto Baptiſm: This is the thirty ſixth▪ and laſt argument, (amongſt many frivolous ones) alledged by the Tranſilvanian Anabaptiſts, againſt the baptizing of infants, placing, belike, much confidence therein, to hem and conclude all the reſt.
Anſw. Both propoſitions are falſe: Firſt, If the dumb and deaf can with ſigns and geſtures (which nature hath made in them marvelouſly expreſſive) evidence and teſtifie their faith, they muſt be admitted to Baptiſm, as the third Councel of Carthage did decide. Secondly, Children are not in the ſame, but a better condition: Thoſe Mutes after maturity, can never recover their hearing and ſpeech but by miracle, whereas Infants naturally are capable of both in due ſeaſon.
We read Mark 7. 32. that they brought one to our Saviour that was deaf, and had an impediment in his ſpeech, not that he was only troubled with a liſping, or ſtamering, but that he was directly dumb, as appears by the peoples acclamations, verſ. 37. when the miracle was wrought upon him, he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to ſpeak; and generally thoſe infirmities are twins, going both together; yet Chriſt diſcovered in him a ſufficiency of faith, ſuch as he was pleaſed to accept for his bodily cure.
How more comfortably then may Chriſtian parents preſume that God will graciouſly behold their Infants, who though deaf (that is not hearing to underſtand) and dumb, not able to ſpeak, may in proceſſe of time arrive to the uſe of both. That God I ſay, who when with a favourable eye he looks for goodneſſe in any heart, findeth and fixeth it there by his favourable looking for it.
Beſides, ſuch perſons defective in their ſenſes, (though full in age) may, ponere obicem, by their prave diſpoſitions put a bar or obſtacle, wilfully to defeat the effect of Baptiſm, and their right thereunto.
This cannot be done by infants; their very worſt enemies who deny them actual faith, yea, any diſpoſitive degree thereunto, dare not charge them with what I may terme poſitive infidelity. As for original ſin, that can be no bar, becauſe Baptiſm was deſigned by God for the waſhing away thereof.
God is no Mountebank, his receipts do the deed for which they were preſcribed: Indeed if the patient, (beſides that diſeaſe for the cure whereof Gods receipt is given him) ſhall by his own intemperance wilfully contract a new malady, no wonder if this Phyſick fall ſhort of the cure for which it was intended; But infants, not being able to draw on themſelves any other ſin, we cannot but in charity believe their undoubted right unto, and benefit by baptiſm.