The Baptizing of Infants Justified, Part 1
The continued practice of the Church for baptizing infants for 1300 yeeres together, from the Apoſtles times, collected out of the Centuries
Written by the Divines of Magdeburgh.
Cent. 1. lib. 1. cap. 4.ALthough the Apoſtles, before they were rightly informed, did forbid children to be brought to Chriſt, yet were they reproved for it; and did without queſtion, afterwards baptize infants themſelves, being better inſtructed by the Spirit of God, as Origen, Cyprian, and others doe teſtifie; and that the cuſtome of baptizing infants, was from the Apoſtles continued to poſterity.
Cent. 2. cap. 4. Cent. 3. cap. 6.We read no where in this age that infants were denied baptiſme.
In this age both men and women, infants and thoſe of elder yeeres were baptized, according to the tradition received from the Apoſtles.
Cent. 4. cap. 6.In the ſame Churches and waters all ſorts of people of whatſoever ſex, age, or condition, were publickly baptized. The Churches of Africa baptized infants in this age. Nazianzen ſpeaking of the Aſian Churches, ſaith, That they uſed to baptize infants, if they were in any eminent danger; otherwiſe baptiſme was deferred till they were about three yeres old; nevertheleſſe he ſaith that baptiſme is ſutable to any age. Nazian. Orat. 3. of Bapt.
That Infants ſhould be Baptized,Cent. 5. cap. 4. Chryſoſtome affirmeth in his Homily of Adam and Eve. Auguſtin ſaith: That the Baptizing of Infants came not into the Church by the conſtitutions of any Councells, but hath been alwayes retained by the Church; and ought to be beleeved as an Apoſtolicall Tradition: Contra Donatiſtas. lib. 4.
Infants are Baptized,Cent. 6. cap. 4. not only that they might attain the Adoption of Sons, or the Kingdom of heaven, but that they may have remiſſion of ſins, leſt they periſh eternally. Maxentius in his confeſſion of Faith.
We Baptize Infants, although they are not yet capable of Reaſon;Cent. 7. cap. 6. And by no meanes let Baptiſme be denied to a ſick Infant; If any ſhall neglect it, God will require the blood of that childe, dying unbaptized, at his hands: Councel of Toledo. 8. cap. 7.
By the Obedience of Faith, all ought to be Baptized:Cent. 8. cap. 4. Beda on Ioh. 1. By the grace of Faith, children being borne againe, by the water of Regeneration, are admitted to the Celeſtiall Joys. Beda on Cant. 4.
Why doth not the ſaying of the Lord,Cent. 9. cap. 4. ſpoken to the Univerſall Church, by the Prophet Iſaiah; I will bring thy ſeed from the Eaſt, &c. deter thee from thy perverſe opinion? How haſt thou forgotten that in the Goſpel, which ſaith, that Chriſt rebuked his Diſciples, for forbidding little Children to be brought unto him? Doſt thou not fear to doe that which no Chriſtian ever durſt doe? For concerning Infants Baptizing (though they know not the meaning of it) Saint Siricius tells us that it was the generall rule and practiſe of the Church: Hincmarus Rhemenſis, ad Hincmarum Laudanenſem.
Children ought to be Baptized; for by this Ordinance,Cent. 10. cap. 4 our chaſt Mother the Church, brings forth holy, pure, and innocent children: Smaragdus in Epiſt. Petri.
Neither did they Baptize thoſe only that were of yeers,Cent. 11. cap. 6 but Infants alſo; yea young and weak Infants: The ſonne of the Empreſſe was Baptized the third day after he was borne, becauſe hee was ſick, and like to die: Schafnaburgenſis.
As well Infants as others were Baptized in this Age;Cent. 12. cap. 6. for Elianor and John, the children of Elianor Queen of England, were Baptized preſently after they were borne: Sigebert. And Lewis the French King, cauſed his Sonne Philip to be Baptized an Infant.
Baptizing of Infants was practiſed alſo in this Age;Cent. 13. cap. 6 for Hugo ſaith; That the Church prayeth for Infants to be Baptized, not that it doubts of their Salvation, but to teach that children are not ſaved by their owne merits or nature, but only by grace: Hugo on Pſal. 27.