Vindication of Baptizing Believers Infants, Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
THe laſt, and that a weighty reaſon of doubting is, becauſe Infant baptiſme ſeems to take away one,Exercit. perhaps the primary end of Baptiſm; Argu. 12 § 25.for many things argue that it was one end of Baptiſm, that it ſhould be a ſigne that the baptized ſhews himſelf a diſciple, and confeſſeth the faith in which he hath been inſtructed.The Argument againſt Infant-Baptiſme, from its voyding the chief end of Baptiſme, confirmed.
1 The requiring of confeſſion by John Baptiſt and the Apoſtles, was wont to be before Baptiſm, Luk. 3.10. Act. 8.35. Act. 16.31.
2 The frequent manner of ſpeaking in the new Teſtament, which puts Baptiſm for Doctrine, Act. 10.37. Act. 19.3. ſhews this. Beza in his A not. on Act. 19.3. The anſwer is moſt appoſite, in which they ſignifie that they profeſſed in Baptiſm the Doctrine propounded by John and confirmed by uſe of Baptiſm, with which they had been baptized, whereby they had acknowledged Chriſt but very ſlenderly.
3 The form of Chriſts inſtitution, Mat 28.19, compared with the phraſe as it is uſed 1 Cor. 1.13. Or, were you baptized into the name of Paul? implies the ſame. On which place Beza,
The third reaſon is taken from the form and end of Baptiſme, in which we give our name to Chriſt, being called upon, with the Father and Holy Spirit.
4 That which is ſaid John 4, 2. He made and baptized more diſciples. And Mat. 28.19. Going, make Diſciples in all nations, baptizing them; Intimate this. And if, as ſome affirme, Baptiſme was in uſe with the Jews, in the initiating of proſelytes into the profeſſion of Judaiſme; this opinion is the more confirmed. But in Infant-Baptiſme the matter is ſo carried, that Baptiſm ſerves to confirm a benefit, not to ſignifie a profeſſion made: and ſo one, perhaps the chief end of Baptiſm is voyded. And here I think it is to be minded, that the uſuall deſcription of a Sacrament, and ſuch as are like to it, That it is a viſible ſigne of inviſible grace; hath occaſioned the miſunderſtanding of both Sacraments, as if they ſigned a divine benefit, not our duty, to which in the firſt place the Iuſtitution had reſpect.
In ſeems to ſome, that Infant-baptiſm ſhould be good, becauſe the devil requires witches to renounce it: which reaſon, if ought worth, might as well prove Baptiſm of any Infants, Baptiſm by a midwife, good; becauſe theſe the devill requires them to renounce, as well that which is of the Infants of believers, by a lawfull Miniſter. But the true reaſon why he requires the Baptiſme of witches to be renounced by them, is not becauſe the baptiſme is good in reſpect of the adminiſtration of it; but becauſe the Faith mentioned in the form of baptiſme, is good; & they that renounce not their baptiſme do ſhew their adherence to that faith in ſome ſort which cannot ſtand with an explicite Covenant with the Devill. Nor is the aſſuming of baptiſm in ripe years by thoſe who were waſhed in infancie a renounceing of baptiſme, as ſome in their groſſe ignorance conceit; but indeed a firmer avouching of baptiſme according to Chriſts minde.
This more likely might be inferred from the Devils practice in requiring witches to renounce their baptiſme; That the profeſſion of Faith is the main buſineſſe in Baptiſme, which ſhould be before Baptiſme, if it were rightly adminiſtred after the firſt pattern.
We anſwer,Animad.
1. In generall. That as circumciſing of infants, did not in ſe, in regard of itſelf, intrinſecally conſidered, take away one end of it, to wit, that ſigning of duty, and obligement unto profeſſion; ſo nor doth the baptiſme of infants.
2 That ſigning of profeſſion is not the primary, that is either the firſt or chiefe end of baptiſme, but the ſigning of Gods favour to us, and his giving grace into us, whereby we ſhould afterwards walke dutifully towards him. For the ſeal confirmes the Covenant, and ſo runs the Covenant of Grace.
3 We before proved by two Scriptures,bIohn 9.28. Acts 15.10. that the children of thoſe parents, that are reputed members of the viſible Church, were accounted and called Diſciples in both Teſtaments.
4 That children ſigned with the 1 ſigne or ſeal, are ingaged to be active Diſciples, when they come to be of years, as in the Old Teſtament, ſo in the New, as we have before ſhewed. For Circumciſion ſee, Gal. 5.3. and for Baptiſme, ſee Mat. 28.19, 20. ver. 19. Goe teach and Baptize, &c. ver. 20. Teaching them effectually (ſo the word ſignifies) to obſerve all things whatſoever I have commanded.
5 That the Anabaptiſts generally affirme with M.T. that they muſt be firſt made Diſciples, and known to be made ſuch, before they are baptized, and yet M. T. aſſerts a little afore that baptiſme exhibits him …member of the Church, and here, that baptiſme is a ſigne that manifeſts him to be a Diſciple. Now if they have not manifeſtations of grace, if they be not manifeſtly Diſciples, or diſcipled (as M. T. formerly ſpake) they will not baptize them. And ſo by this they are manifeſtly Diſciples, or diſcipled afore, yet manifeſted to be diſciples in baptiſme.
6 Baptiſme of infants doth not anticipate profeſſion, but oblige unto it in due time.
2 To anſwer particularly as to the reaſons to prove that one end of baptiſme is to be a ſigne that the baptized ſhews himſelfe a Diſciple, and of his confeſſion of faith.
1 We ſay that all thoſe proofs reach but to thoſe that were baptized at ripe years, as hath been before largely diſcuſſed.
2 M.T. his inferring that profeſſion may be the end of baptiſme, doth not infer that it muſt be made by the baptized at every time whatſoever. Affirmatives binde always, but not to every point of time.
3 M.T. his inferring that profeſſion is one end of Baptiſme, doth not conclude that it is all, or the chiefe end of baptiſme.
For whereas M. T. would have that deſcription, of ſuch like of a Sacrament [An outward ſigne of inviſible grace] to be an occaſion of miſunderſtanding of both Sacraments, as if they ſigned a divine benifit, not our duty; we ſay that to our knowledge no true Proteſtant ever ſo underſtood it. And the Papiſts underſtand it for ought I can perceive, more of duty then they ſhould, in that they put ſo much in their act, or bare doing, as if thereby to pleaſe God, as they put merit in their other actions.
To that M.T. ſpeaks in the concluſion of all his arguments, concerning the Devill, requiring witches to renounce their baptiſme, or rather their profeſſion in baptiſme.
We anſwer.
1 Sure enough the devill requires thoſe to renounce their baptiſme that were baptized in infanc…e, when they could not make profeſſion. If they made profeſſion after upon that baptiſme, then it appears againſt M. T. that Infant-baptiſme proves obligatorie to them grown up.
2 It is no way ſure that Satan doth require thoſe witches to renounce their nominall baptiſme, that they received from midwives.
3 (As an anſwer to all) the moſt likely reaſon why Satan requires witches to renounce their baptiſme, being the titular ſeale of all their hypocriticall profeſſion is, that they might deteſt all wherein they had ſeemed any ways to have any thing to doe with God.
Now the God of truth, and love, make us one in every truth and mean while one in love. Amen.
FINIS.