The Baptizing of Infants Justified, Part 5
A Letter of Mr. Philpot to a friend of his priſoner the ſame time in Newgate. Wherein is debated and diſcuſſed the matter or queſtion of infants to be baptized.
The God of all light and underſtanding lighten your heart with all true knowledge of his Word, and make you perfect to the day of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, whereunto you are now called, through the mighty operation of his holy Spirit. Amen.
I Received yeſternight from you (deare brother S. and fellow priſoner for the truth, for Chriſts Goſpell) a Letter, wherein you gently require my judgement concerning the baptiſme of infants which is the effect thereof. And before I doe ſhew you what I have learned out of Gods Word, and of his true and infallible Church touching the ſame, I thinke it not out of the matter to declare what viſion I had the ſame night, whiles muſing on your Letter I fell aſleepe; knowing that God doth not without cauſe reveale to his people who have their minds fixed on him, ſpeciall and ſpirituall revelations to their comfort, as a taſte of their joy and Kingdome to come which fleſh and blood cannot comprehend.
Being in the middeſt of my ſweet reſt, it ſeemed me to ſee a great beatifull City, all of the colour of Azure and White, foure ſquare, in a marvellous beautifull compoſition, in the middeſt of the Sky; the ſight whereof ſo inwardly comforted me, that I am not able to expreſſe the conſolation that I had thereof; yea the remembrance thereof cauſeth as yet my heart to leape for joy, and as charity is no churle, but would others to be partakers of his delight, ſo me thought I called to others (I cannot tell whom) and whiles they came and we together beheld the ſame, by and by to my great grief it faded away.
This dreame I thinke not to have come of the illuſion of the ſenſes, becauſe it brought with it ſo much ſpirituall joy, and I take it to be of the working of Gods Spirit, for the contentation of your requeſt, as he wrought in Peter to ſatisfie Cornelius. Therefore I interpret this beautifull City to be the glorious Church of Chriſt, and the appearance of it in the Sky ſignifieth the heavenly ſtate thereof, whoſe converſation is in Heaven, and that according to the Primitive Church, which is now in Heaven, men ought to meaſure and judge the Church of Chriſt now in earth. For as the Prophet David ſaith, The foundations thereof be in the holy hills, and glorious things be spoken of the City of God. And the marvellous quadrature of the ſame I take to ſignifie, the univerſall agreement in the ſame; and that all the Church here militant ought to conſent to the Primitive Church throughout the foure parts of the world, as the Prophet affirmeth, ſaying, God maketh us to dwell after one manner in one houſe. And that I conceived ſo wonderfull joy at the contemplation thereof, I underſtand the unſpeakable joy which they have, that be at unity with Chriſts Primitive Church; for there is joy in the holy Ghoſt, and peace which paſſeth all underſtanding▪ as it is written in the Pſalmes, As of joyfull perſons is the dwelling of all them that be in thee. And that I called others to the fruition of this viſion, and to behold this wonderfull City, I conſtrue it by the will of God this viſion to have come upon me muſing on your Letter, to the end that under this figure I might have occaſion to move you with many others, to behold the Primitive Church in all your opinions concerning faith, and to conforme your ſelfe in all points to the ſame, which is the pillar and eſtabliſhment of truth, and teacheth the true uſe of the Sacraments; and having with a greater fulneſſe then we have now, the firſt fruits of the holy Ghoſt, did declare the true interpretation of the Scriptures, according to all verity, even as our Saviour promiſed to ſend them another Comforter, which ſhould teach them all truth.
And ſince all truth was taught and revealed to the Primitive Church which is our mother, let us all that be obedient children of God, ſubmit our ſelves to the judgement of the Church for the better underſtanding of the Articles of our faith, and of the doubtfull ſentences of the Scripture; let us not goe about to ſhew in us, by following any private mans interpretation of the Word, another ſpirit then they of the Primitive Church had leſt we deceive our ſelves; for there is but one Faith, and one Spirit, which is not contrary to himſelfe, neither otherwiſe now teacheth us then he did them: therefore let us believe as they have taught us of the Scriptures, and be at peace with them; according as the true Catholique Church is at this day, and the God of peace aſſuredly will be with us and deliver us out of all our worldly troubles and miſeries, and make us partakers of their joy and bliſſe, through our obedience to faith with them.Iob 8. Therefore God commandeth us in Iob to aske of the elder generation, and to ſearch diligently the memory of the fathers. For we are but yeſterdaies children, and be ignorant, and our daies are like a ſhadow; and they ſhall teach thee (ſaith the Lord) and ſpeake to thee, and ſhall utter words from their hearts; And by Salomon we are commanded not to reject the direction of our mother.Prov. 6. The Lord grant you to direct your ſteps in all things after her, and to abhor contention with her. For as St. Paul writeth,1 Cor. 11. If any man be contentious, neither we, neither the Church of God hath any ſuch cuſtome.
Hitherto I have ſhewed you (good brother S.) my judgement generally, of that you ſtand in doubt, and diſſent from others; to the which I wiſh you as mine heart to be conformable, and then doubtleſſe you cannot erre, but boldly may be glad in your troubles, and triumph at the houre of your death, that you ſhall die in Church of God a faithfull martyr, and receive the Crowne of eternall glory. And thus much have I written upon occaſion of a viſion, before God unfained. But that you may not thinke that I go about to ſatisfie you with uncertaine viſions onelyonly, and not after Gods Word, I will take the ground of your Letter, and eſpecially anſwer to the ſame by the Scriptures, and by unfallible reaſons deduced out of the ſame, and prove the baptiſme of infants to be lawfull, commendable, and neceſſary, whereof you ſeeme to ſtand in doubt.
Indeed if you looke upon the Papiſticall Synagogue onelyonly, which hath corrupted Gods Word by falſe interpretations, and hath perverted the true uſe of Chriſts Sacraments, you might ſeeme to have good handfaſt of your opinion, againſt the Baptiſme of infants: but for as much as it is of more antiquity, and hath its beginning from Gods Word, and from the uſe of the Primitive Church, it muſt not in reſpect of the abuſe in the popiſh Church be neglected, or thought not expedient to be uſed in Chriſts Church. Auxentius one of the Arrians feet, with his adherents, was one of the firſt that denied the Baptiſme of children; and next after him Pelagius the hereticke, and ſome others there were in St. Bernards time, as it doth appeare by his writings; and in our daies the Anabaptiſts an inordinate kind of men, ſtirred up by the divell, to the deſtruction of the goſpell.
But the Catholique truth delivered unto us by the Scriptures, plainly determineth, that all ſuch are to be baptized, as whom God acknowledgeth for his people, and voucheth them worthy of ſanctification or remiſſion of their ſins. Therefore ſince that infants be in the number or ſcrole of Gods people and be partakers of the promiſe by their purification in Chriſt it muſt needs follow hereby that they ought to be baptized, as well as thoſe that can profeſſe their faith; for we judge the people of God as well by the free and liberall promiſe of God as by the confeſſion of faith. For to whomſoever God promiſeth himſelfe to be their God, and whom he acknowledgeth for his, thoſe no man without great impie…y may exclude from the number of the faithfull. But God promiſeth that he will not onelyonly be the God of ſuch as doe profeſſe him, but alſo of infants, promiſing them his grace and remiſſion of ſinnes, as it appeareth by the words of the covenant made unto Abraham, Geneſ. 17.I will ſet my covenant betweene me and thee (ſaith the Lord) and betweene thy ſeed after thee in their generations, with an everlaſting covenant, to be thy God, and the God of thy ſeed after thee; to the which covenant circumciſion was added, to be a ſigne of ſanctification, as well in children as in men; and no man may thinke that this promiſe is abrogated with circumciſion, and other ceremoniall lawes; for Chriſt came to fulfill the promiſes, and not to diſſolve them: therefore in the Goſpell he ſaith of infants,Matth. 5. that is of ſuch as yet believed not, Let the little ones come unto me, Matth 10. Matth. 19. Matth. 18.and forbid them not, for of ſuch is the Kingdome of Heaven. Againe, it is not the will of your father which is in Heaven, that any of theſe little ones doe periſh. Alſo, he that receiveth one ſuch little child in my name, receiveth me. Take heed therefore that ye deſpiſe not one of theſe babes, for I tell you their Angels doe continually ſee in Heaven my fathers face: and what may be ſaid more plaine then this, It is not the will of the heavenly Father, that the infants ſhould periſh? whereby we may gather, that he receiveth them freely unto his grace, although as yet they confeſſe not their faith. Since then that the word of the promiſe, which is contained in baptiſme, pertaineth as well to children as to men, why ſhould the ſigne of the promiſe, which is baptiſme in water, be withdrawne from children, when Chriſt himſelfe commandeth them to be received of us, and promiſeth the reward of a Prophet to thoſe that receive ſuch a little infant, as he for an example did put before his Diſciples?
Now will I prove with manifeſt arguments that children ought to be baptized and that the Apoſtles of Chriſt did baptize children. The Lord commanded his Apoſtles to baptize all Nations: therefore alſo ought children to be baptized, for they are comprehended under this word, All Nations.
Further,Acts 10. whom God doth account among the faithfull they are faithfull, for it was ſaid to Peter, That thing which God hath purified, thou ſhalt not ſay to be common or uncleane: But God doth repute children among the faithfull: Ergo, they be faithfull, except we had rather to reſiſt God, and ſeem ſtronger and wiſer then he.
And without all doubt the Apoſtles baptized thoſe whom Chriſt commanded: but he commanded the faithfull to be baptized,1 Cor. 1. among the which infants be reckoned; The Apoſtles then baptized infants.
The Goſpell is more then baptiſme, for Paul ſaid,1 Cor. 1. The Lord ſent me to preach the Gospell, and not to baptize; not that he denied abſolutely that he was ſent to baptize, but that he preferred doctrine before baptiſme, for the Lord commanded both to the Apoſtles; but children be received by the doctrine of the Goſpell of God, and not refuſed; therefore what perſon being of reaſon may deny them baptiſme, which is a thing leſſer then the Goſpell, for in Sacraments be two things to be conſidered: the thing ſignified, and the ſigne; and the thing ſignified is greater then the ſigne; and from the thing ſignified in baptiſme children are not excluded; who therefore may deny them the ſigne, which is baptiſme in water?
St. Peter could not deny them to be baptized in water, to whom he ſaw the holy Ghoſt given, which is the certaine ſigne of Gods people,Acts 10. for he ſaith in the Acts, May any body forbid them to be baptized in water, who have received the holy Ghoſt as well as we? Therefore St. Peter denied not baptiſme to infants, for he knew certainly, both by the doctrine of Chriſt, and by the covenant, which is everlaſting, that the Kingdome of Heaven pertained to infants.
None be received into the Kingdome of Heaven but ſuch as God loveth,Rom. 8. and which are endued with his Spirit, for whoſo hath not the Spirit of God, he is none of his: But infants be beloved of God, and therefore want not the Spirit of God; wherefore if they have the Spirit of God as well as men, if they be numbred among the people of God as well as we that be of age, who I pray you may well withſtand children to be baptized with water, in the name of the Lord?
The Apoſtles in times paſt being yet not ſufficiently inſtructed, did murmure againſt thoſe that brought their children unto the Lord, but the Lord rebuked them and ſaid, Let the babes come unto me; Matth. 10.why then doe not theſe rebellious Anabaptiſts obey the Commandement of the Lord? for what doe they nowadaies elſe that bring their children to baptiſme, then that they did in times paſt which brought their children to the Lord; and our Lord received them, and putting his hands on them, bleſſed them, and both by words, and by gentle behaviour towards them, declared manifeſtly that children be the people of God, and entirely beloved of God. But ſome will ſay, why then did not Chriſt baptize them? becauſe it is written, Jeſus himſelfe baptized not, but his Diſciples.
John 4.Moreover circumciſion in the old Law was miniſtred unto infants, therefore baptiſme ought to be miniſtred in the new law to children: for baptiſme is come in ſtead of circumciſion, as St. Paul witneſſeth,Coloſ. 2. ſaying to the Coloſſians, By Chriſt ye are circumciſed with a circumciſion which is without hands, when ye put off the body of ſin of the fleſh by the circumciſion of Chriſt, being buried together with him through baptiſme. Behold Paul calleth baptiſme the circumciſion of a Chriſtian man, which is done without hands; not that water may be miniſtred without hands, but that with hands no man ought any longer to be circumciſed, albeit the miniſtery of circumciſion doth ſtill remaine in faithfull people.
Ioſh. 5.To this I adde, that the ſervants of God were alwaies ready to miniſter the Sacraments to them for whom they inſtituted. As for example, we may behold Joſhua, who moſt diligently procured the people of Iſrael to be circumciſed before they entred into the Land of promiſe; but ſince the Apoſtles were the preachers of the word, and the very faithfull ſervants of Jeſus, &c, who may hereafter doubt that they baptized infants, ſince baptiſme is in place of circumciſion?
Item, the Apoſtles did attemperate all their doings to the ſhadowes and figures of the old Teſtamont; therefore it is certain that they did attemperate baptiſme according to circumciſion, and baptized children becauſe they were under the figure of baptiſme; for the people of Iſrael paſſed through the red ſea, and the bottome of the water of Jordan with their children. And although the children be not alwaies expreſſed, neither the women in the holy Scriptures, yet they are comprehended and underſtood in the ſame.
Alſo the Scripture evidently telleth us, that the Apoſtles baptized whole families or houſholds: but the children he comprehended in a family or houſhold, as the chiefeſt and deareſt part thereof; Therefore we may conclude, that the Apoſtles did baptize infants or children, and not onelyonly men of lawfull age; and that the houſe or houſhold is taken for man, woman, and child, is manifeſt in the 17 of Geneſis, and alſo in that Joſeph doth call Jacob with all his houſe to come out of the Land of Canaan into Egypt.
Finally, I can declare out of ancient writers, that the baptiſme of infants hath continued from the Apoſtles time unto ours; neither that it was inſtituted by any Councels, neither of the Pope, nor of other men, but commended from the Scripture by the Apoſtles themſelves. Origen upon the Declaration of St. Pauls Epiſtle to the Romans, expounding the ſixt chapter, ſaith, That the Church of Chriſt received the baptiſme of infants from the very Apoſtles. St. Hierom maketh mention of the baptiſme of infants in the third booke againſt the Pelagians, and in his Epiſtle to Leta. Saint Auguſtine reciteth for this purpoſe a place out of John Biſhop of Conſtantinople, in his firſt booke againſt Iulian, chap. 2. And he againe writing to St. Hierome, Epiſt. 28. ſaith, That St. Cyprian not making any new decree, but firmly obſerving the faith of the Church, judged with his fellow Biſhops, that as ſoone as one was borne, he might be lawfully baptized. The place of Cyprian is to be ſeene in his Epiſtle to Fidus.
Alſo St. Augustine writing againſt the Donatiſts in the 4. booke chap. 23. & 24. ſaith, That the baptiſme of infants was not derived from the authority of man, neither of Councels, but from the Tradition or doctrine of the Apoſtles.
Cyril upon Leviticus chap. 8, approveth the baptiſme of children, and condemneth the iteration of baptiſme.
Theſe authorities of men I doe alledge, not to tye the baptiſme of children unto the teſtimonies of men, but to ſhew how mens teſtimonies doe agree with Gods Word, and that the verity of antiquity is on our ſide, and that the Anabaptiſts have nothing but lies for them, and new imaginations, which ſeigne the baptiſme of children to be the Popes commandement.
After this I will anſwer to the ſumme of your arguments to the contrary. The firſt, which includeth all the reſt, is, It is written, Goe ye into all the World, and preach the glad tidings to all creatures, He that beleeveth and is baptized ſhall be ſaved, but he that beleeveth not ſhall be damned, &c.
To this I adde, that nothing is added to Gods Word by baptiſme of children, as ye pretend, but that is done which the ſame word doth require, for that children are accounted of Chriſt in the Goſpell among the number of ſuch as doe believe: as it appeareth by theſe words,Matth. 18. He that offendeth one of theſe little babes which believe in me, it were better for him to have a mill-ſtone tied about his necke and to be caſt into the bottome of the ſea. Where plainly Chriſt calleth ſuch as be not able to confeſſe their faith, beleevers; becauſe of his meere grace he reputeth them for beleevers. And this is no wonder ſo to be taken ſince God imputeth faith for righteouſneſſe unto men of riper age, for both in men and children, righteouſneſſe, acceptation, and ſanctification is of meere grace, and by imputation, that the glory of Gods grace might be praiſed.
And that the children of faithfull parents are ſanctified, and among ſuch as doe believe,1 Cor. 7. is apparent in the 1 Cor. 7. And whereas you doe gather by the order of the words in the ſaid Commandement of Chriſt, that children ought to be taught before they be baptized; and to this end you alledge many places out of the Acts, proving that ſuch as confeſſed their faith firſt were baptized after. I anſwer, that if the order of words might weigh any thing to this cauſe, we have the Scripture that maketh as well for us, for in Saint Marke we read,Marke 1. that John did baptize in the deſart, preaching the baptiſme of repentance. In the which place we ſee baptiſme go before, and peaching to follow after.
And alſo I will declare this place of Matthew exactly conſidered,Matth. 28. to make for the uſe of baptiſme in children, for St. Matthew hath it written in this wiſe, All power is given me (ſaith the Lord) in Heaven and in earth, therefore going forth foreign, that is, Diſciple ye, (as I may expreſſe the ſignification of the word) that is, make or gather to me Diſciples of all Nations: And following he declareth the way how they ſhould gather to him Diſciples out of all Nations, baptizing them and teaching; by baptizing and teaching ye ſhall procure a Church to me; and both theſe aptly and briefly, ſeverally he ſetteth forth, ſaying, Baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghoſt, teaching them to obſerve all things whatſoever I have commanded you. Now then Baptiſme goeth before Doctrine.
But hereby I doe not gather, that the Gentiles which never heard any thing before of God, and of the Sonne of God, and of the holy Ghoſt, ought to be baptized, neither they would permit themſelves to be baptized before they knew to what end. But this I have declared, to ſhew you upon how feeble foundation the Anabaptiſts be grounded; and plainly it is not true which they imagine of this Text, that the Lord did onelyonly command ſuch to be baptized, whom the Apoſtles had firſt of all taught. Neither here verily is ſignified who onelyonly be to be baptized: but he ſpeaketh of ſuch as he of perfect age, and of the firſt foundations of faith, and of the Church to be planted among the Gentiles, which were as yet rude and ignorant of Religion.
Such as be of age may heare, believe, and confeſſe, that which is preached, and taught, but ſo cannot infants; therefore we may juſtly collect, that he ſpeaketh here nothing of infants or children; but for all this they be not to be excluded from baptiſme.
It is a generall rule, he that doth not labour muſt not eate, but who is ſo barbarous as might thinke hereby that children ſhould be famiſhed.
The Lord ſent his Apoſtles at the beginning of the ſetting up his true religion unto all Nations, unto ſuch as were both ignorant of God, and were out of the covenant of God, and truely ſuch perſons it behooveth not firſt to be baptized, and afterwards taught; but firſt to be taught, and afterward baptized. If at this day we ſhould goe to the Turkes to convert them to the faith of Chriſt, verily firſt we ought to teach them, and afterward baptize ſuch as would yeeld to be the ſervants of Chriſt; Likewiſe the Lord himſelfe in times paſt did, when firſt he renewed the covenant with Abraham and ordained circumciſion to be a ſeale of the covenant, after that Abraham was circumciſed. But he when he perceived the infants alſo to pertaine to the covenant, and that circumciſion was the ſealing up of the covenant, did not onelyonly circumciſe Iſmael his ſonne that was 13 yeers of age, but all other infants that were born in his houſe, among whom we reckon Iſaac.
Even ſo, faithfull people which were converted from Heathen idolatry by the preaching of the Goſpell, and confeſſing the faith were baptized; when they underſtood their children to be counted among the people of God, and that baptiſme was the token of the people of God, they procured alſo their children to be baptized. Therefore, as it is written, Abraham circumciſed all the male children of his houſe. Semblably we read in the Acts and writings of the Apoſtles, that after the maſter of the houſe was turned to the faith, all the whole houſe was baptized. And as concerning thoſe which of old time were compelled to confeſſe their faith before they received baptiſme, which were called Catechumeni, they were ſuch as with our forefathers, came from the Gentiles to the Church, who being yet rude of faith, they did inſtruct in the principles of their beliefe, and afterward they did baptize them; but the ſame ancient fathers notwithſtanding did baptize the children of faithfull men, as I have already partly declared.
And becauſe you doe require an haſty anſwer of your Letter, of one that is but a dull writer, I am here enforced to ceaſe, particularly to goe through your Letter in anſwering thereto, knowing that I have fully anſwered every part thereof in that I have already written, although not in ſuch order as it had meet, and I had purpoſed. But foraſmuch as I underſtand that you will be no contentious man, neither in this matter, nor in any other, contrary to the judgement of Chriſts primitive Church, which is the body and fulneſſe of Chriſt, I deſire you in the entire of him, or rather Chriſt deſireth you by me (that your joy may be perfect whereto you are now called) to ſubmit your judgement to that Church, and to be at peace and unity with the ſame, that the coate of Chriſt, which ought to be without ſeame, but now alaſſe moſt miſerably is torne in pieces by many dangerous ſects, and damnable opinions, may appeare by you in no part to have been rent; neither that any giddy head in theſe dog-daies, might take an example by you to diſſent from Chriſts true Church. I beſeech thee deare brother in the Goſpell, follow the ſteps of the faith of the glorious martyrs in the primitive Church, and of ſuch as at this day follow the ſame, decline from them neither to the right hand nor to the left; then ſhall death be it never ſo bitter, be more ſweeter then this life; then ſhall Chriſt with all the Heavenly Hieruſalem triumphantly embrace your Spirit with unſpeakable gladneſſe and exaltation, who in this earth was content to joyne your ſpirit with their ſpirits, according as it is commanded by the word, that the ſpirit of Prophets ſhould be ſubject to the Prophets. One thing aske with David ere you depart, and require the ſame, that you may dwell with a full accord in his houſe, for there is glory and worſhip; And ſo with Simeon, 1 Cor. 14.in the Temple embracing Chriſt, depart in peace. To the which peace Chriſt bring both you and me, and all our loving brethren that love God in the unity of faith, by ſuch waies as ſhall pleaſe him, to his glory. Let the bitter paſſion of Chriſt, which he ſuffered for your ſake, and the horrible torments which the godly martyrs of Chriſt have endured before us; and alſo the ineſtimable reward of your life to come, which is hidden yet a little while from you with Chriſt, ſtrengthen, comfort, and encourage you, to the end of that glorious race which you are in. Amen.
Your yoke-fellow in captivity for the verity of Chriſts Goſpell, to live and die with you in the unity of faith, JOHN PHILPOT.