A Christian, Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. A ſhort ſumming up of the former principles, and arguing them from the method of the Apoſtle Peter about thoſe he baptized, Acts 10.47.
THat we may bring up all unto a full concluſion, let that place be conſidered, Acts 10.47. and the manner of the Apoſtles arguing in it, which is moſt ſpeciall to what we would prove; his argument lies in this, they have received the holy Ghoſt as well as we: Ergo, what ſhould hinder water? where there is a qualification, there may be an adminiſtration of that Ordinance; this is grounded on a common principle; now if we obſerve,
Firſt, the Apoſtle changes the uſual expreſſion, and faith not, Seeing they have believed as well as we, but ſeeing they have received the holy Ghoſt as well as we, What ſhould hinder? The argument is from the equivalency of the qualification; for whereas he ſaith all along formerly, they believed and were baptized; and to the Eunuch, Acts 8.37. If thou believeſt thou maiſt; but here, ſeeing they have received the holy Ghoſt as well as we; this change of phraſe ſhews the qualification not to lie in one term or expreſſion, but in the univerſal equalitie of Goſpel manifeſtation, to ſome one way, to ſome another; that if any title in the Goſpel can be found properly, either by Gods promiſe or our judgment, applicable to any perſon, we may ſay What ſhould hinder water? now to receive the holy Ghoſt, is the largeſt and moſt vaſt expreſſion, as to a qualification, that ever could be mentioned, taking in both real graces and all external gifts and priviledges, which are all conveyed by that holy Spirit, whether common or ſpecial, as is before expreſt in another Chapter.
We ſhall deſire on the Apoſtles account to argue from all theſe pregnant Texts of Scripture concerning Infants; and having the ſame premiſes we ſhall not certainly draw a wrong concluſion, when we find the Scriptures giving ſuch titles to Infants, and ſo many ſpecial carriages of Chriſt to them, which amounts to as much as is ſpoken of any that were baptized, why may not we ſay with Peter, What ſhould hinder Water? as for inſtance,
If Infants be in the Covenant, that Abrahams promiſe belongs to them, as we have proved, What ſhould hinder water?
If Infants be holy, What ſhould hinder Water? Theſe which are viſible Saints may be baptized; but ſo are the Infants of believers; for they are called (foreign) 1 Cor. 7.14. The ſame name given to denominate all Saints; now to be holy is as much as to be a believer; as to receive the holy Ghoſt is made all one with being a believer; and what then ſhould hinder water?
So again, when the Gentiles and their poſterity are ingraffed into the ſame root, Rom. 11. which is Abraham and the Covenant, and the branches holy as the root, what ſhould hinder water?
If Chriſt was angry when Infants were forbidden to come to him, and charged his Diſciples to ſuffer them to be brought, who can forbid water? eſpecially when Chriſt took them up in his arms, laid his hands on, and bleſſed them, which is as much and more then is done in baptiſm, what ſhould hinder water to be caſt on them? and ſo we may argue from every place in the former diſcourſe, upon this very principle; for the Apoſtle argues neither from precept nor example, but from a parallel qualification, becauſe they had received the holy Ghoſt; and ſurely all theſe places of Scripture concerning Infants; will fully amount to make up an equivalent qualification in them to a viſible profeſſion of grown perſons, and ſo we may argue on the ſame ground with Peter; beſides, Infants are capable of receiving the holy Ghoſt as well as grown perſons, and why not capable of water? if they ſay it is only a viſible believer, a viſible profeſſor that is the ſubject; We anſwer,
You ſee the Apoſtle uſeth ſeveral expreſſions about it, ſometimes actively, ſometimes paſsively, ſometimes if thou believeſt; here, ſeeing they have received the holy Ghoſt, but never ſaith a viſible Saint, or a viſible believer, or one that actually profeſſeth; and ſo may we ſay, ſeeing the promiſe is to them, ſeeing they are holy, ſeeing they are called Diſciples, ſeeing they had Chriſts hands laid on them, and were bleſſed, ſeeing they are capable of receiving the holy Ghoſt, what ſhould hinder water?
Queſt. If they ſay ſtill there is no command; I anſwer,
Firſt, there is as much as is ſaid of others that were baptized.
Secondly, there is no command in terms from Chriſt or his Apoſtles to baptize profeſſing believers, or thoſe that ſhould receive the holy Ghoſt; yet they were baptized.
Thirdly, where there is parallel characters to ſhew qualification, there may be the ſame outward ſign applied; on this principle the Apoſtle reaſons in this Scripture; it is only to be wondred how ſo many direct places of Scripture, which cannot but ſparkle in the conſciences of thoſe which are diligent and diving into truth, can be ſo lightly evaded and made nothing of while men pretend to ſearch truth impartially, without deceit or guile.