A Confutation of Infants Baptism, Title page – To the reader
A CONFUTATION OF Infants Baptisme, Or an Answer, To a Treatice written by GEORG PHILLIPS, of Wattertowne in New England, in the defence of Infants BAPTISME, denying the true Church to be formed by Baptisme, and affirming it to be formed by a Covenant acted by a company of believers, to become one, and anothers amongst themselves.
WHEREIN, Is plainely discovered that neither Infants Baptisme, nor yet such a covenant acted, can be Gods ordinance appointed by him for any such end, as to constitute true visable Churches:
As also that Baptisme of beleevers, and that only is Gods ordinance whereby true visible Churches are rightly constituted and st…ted in …heir true being.
By THOMAS LAMBE.
Then sa…d Peter repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Christ, for the remission of sinnes, and y…e sh…ll receive the gift of the holy Ghost, Act. 2.38.
He that beleeveth and is baptised shall be saved, Mar. 16.16.
Then they that g…adly received his word were baptised, and the same day there were added to the Church three thousand soules. Act. 2.41.
And as soone as they beleived Philip preaching the things concerning the Kingdome of God, and the name of Iesus, they w…re baptised both men and women, Act. 8.12.
Printed in the yeare, 1643.
TO THE Vnpartiall Reader, that desireth truth in the love of it, Grace and Peace be multiplyed in this life with Salvation, and happinesse in the life to come through JESVS CHRIST.
AS Religion is the meanes of Gods glory and mans happines, so ought it to he the principall care, study & endeavour of all how to exercise themselvs therin, so as they may accomplish the proposed end; but as all things that are excellent in nature have their like; which evill minded men doe many times make use of, to deceive, cozen and cheate with the false colourable shew, which these things have with those that are more excellent; even so religion which is the most excellent weans in the world, tending to the most excellent end of …; (viz.) the glory of the great God, and the eternall salvation of soule and body at the day of judgement, is not without the like false colorable shew, wherwith Satan & his ministers doe deceive, cheate, and cozen poore soules, and hereof it comes to passe, that men doe after a certaine manner take chaffe for wheat, drosse for Gold, errour for truth, mans devises for Gods pure Ordinances; and as errour in every subject is dangerous, according to the nature of every Subject about which it is conversant so in religion is most dangerous, it being a subject of the greatest consequence that can be: because as it is a meanes of Gods gl ry and our salvation, so it must bee a true meanes tending to the accomplishment of the proposed end, or otherwise we shall not only misse the end proposed, but shall effect a quite contrary end, viz.) the dishonour of God, and the damnation of our selves, even by the Religion which we observe; yea although we be never so zealous in it, and therefore it is of speciall concernment, that we take heed that the Religion which we doe observe be Gods appointment by his revealed word, it being his prerogative, to be author, institutor, framer, and appointer of all that service, which he will have men to performe unto h m: and the reason is because Gods glory and mans happinesse is so united together, as the one is not without the other atainable by man, but only as man is led and guided by God in the use of such meanes as he hath appointed in his word; and for so much as Gods word doth set forth Christ to be the Mediatour, and principall meanes that God hath in wisedome and mercy appointed to glorifie hims…lfe in the salvation of man by; and all other meanes exercised in Religion, to bee used only in subordination to him, to the working of us unto faith in him, and the increase of the s…me; Hence these conclusions f…llow;
First, That no action of Religion performed, though it be the thing that is expressely commanded, pleaseth God for it selfe.
Secondly, God require…h no action of Religion, to be performed without faith in the performer or subiect of the action.
Thirdly that God requireth that persons be first taught to believe in Christ, as in an alsufficient meanes of glorifying Gods grace in our salvation.
Fourtly, that every action of Religion be performed in the name, power, authority and Comm ssion of Jesus Christ.
Fiftly, that every action of Religion be performed by vertue of the grace of Christ, received by faith, for whatso…ver is not of Faith is sin, and without Faith it is impossible to please God.
Sixtly, that every action of Religion should teach us the infirmity of our faith.
Seaventhly, that every action of Religion should be exercised as a meanes to strengthen our faith.
Eightly, that when actions of Religion are performed, and the performers have no faith in Christ, those actions are meanes to harden the heart against Christ.
Ninthly, no action of Religion ought to be performed by any man, no not by the faithfull themselves, if Christ be not by the direction of his word the body (or rather the soule) of that action;
And the reason of all this is, because the end measures the meanes, and all the actions of Religion, being but meanes of setting forth of Christ Jesus, the Sonne of God to be the true meanes and mediatour betweene God and man, that God doth glorifie himselfe in the salvation of man by, and this b…ing the proper end why all the actions of Religion are to be performed: namely, to cause our understandings to see, know, and acknowledge the glory of Gods grace, shining through that his …onne.
And h…reupon t is that the Order which Jesus Christ the Son of God, and great Prophet of his Church, hath prescribed to effect Religion in the hearts and lives of men is this: that persons should be first taug…t by the powerfull preaching of the Gospell, and glad tidings of grace and salvation, which by him is appointed to be preached to all Nations, or to every creature, that thereby all persons being borne in sinne and heires of death, might bee converted and borne againe by the Doctrine of grace, and made heires of eternall life, and when they believe and make profession of faith, then and not before to be baptised upon such profession of faith, made in the name of the Father, who hath adopted them to be his children in the name of the Sonne, by whom they are reconciled, in the name of the Holy Ghost, by whom they are regenerated into the faith which they make prof…ssion of: the end is, that thereby as by a Livery or badge, they may be distinguished to belong to the Church of Jesus Christ, who hath betrusted them with all his d…vine, and spirituall Ordinances, as Election of Ministers from amongst themselves, together with all divine administration, as a people capable thereof, and hath promised his presence with them, and his blessing upon them in the same, for the …dification preservation, and finall perseverance in the faith of the same Gospell of grace, even the salvation of their soules, and thus by the direction of Christ: true Religion is seated in the World as the true meanes of Gods glory and mans happinesse. Now Satan the Prince of darkn sse, as he is the Enemy of mankind, and seekes his destruction to the dishonour of God, so doth he labour in no meanes more than in the counterfeiting of Religion, which that he might the better effect the same: doth transforme himself into an Angell of light, and by his Ministers as though they were the ministers of righteousnes, or of Christ, p…etend that Religion doth not thrive fast …nough, nor members increase to the church so fast as they would have them: have therefore by their device perswaded people that as children were circumcised, so children of baptised persons ought to be baptized of the eight day, or at least betimes, and by these meanes have they made the Church very great, though it be not very good for they have made and compelled whole Nations, yea all to be outwardly religious, and whosoever would not be one with them in this their Religion, must neither buy nor sell, nor injoy bodily comforts while they live, and when they die must not be buried in the Christian buriall: and left this Church thus stated, (although uncapable of all divine administrations in the true service and worship of God) should be left without all Religion, having none in their hearts; (I speake of the Church in relation to the constitution of it, consisting of baptised Infants, meere naturalists in which converts are meere accidents, and appertaine nothing to the nature of that Church state, which is of it self compleat without them) Satan by the Ministery of Antichrist hath devised a Liturgy, Masse, or Service-Booke, which doth direct them where, when, how to pray, and what to pray for having provided prayers ready made for them for all occasions, which bath been thought necessary: and likewise all other services are not only there directed but therein provided, and ordered to be performed at all times for the whole service of the Church, which therefore is called Divine Service, (although there be nothing but humanity or worse in it) the performance of which as it may be without any faith, or spirituall gift, or grace from God be compleatly done, and therefore fit for such a Church, so have all manner of persons in the Nation been compelled with great penall Lawes to be frequent at such service as if it had bin the only true holy spirituall service and worship of God: and yet all this while this is divine service only in name and not indeed; as the Church is a Church of Christ in name, but not indeed and in truth as they have the Baptisme of Christ in name but not in deed and in truth, and thereupon are these Christians in name but not in deed and truth, and so all Religion is only nominall not reall, having great shew but no substance, a pitifull condition and to be bewayled and greatly lamented, and the cause of all this is Infants Baptisme, and the reason is evident, if we do not willingly shut our eyes against the manifest light, for wheresoever Religion is exercised upon persons, before they are taught to believe in Christ, the errour is as it were in the center which proves infinite in the circumference, and wanting religion in the heart: first all what ever is done is but vanity, hypocrisie, a shadow without a substance, a body without a soule, a shell without a kernell, a name without the nature of the thing, the consideration of all, which miserable witchery and delusion I being greatly affected with, & conceiving these insuing lines which cost me much labour, to be profitable for the discovery of the same, in some measure thought it not meet to let them lie in obscurity, while I cōceived others …o have much need of them, & many of my deare friends did earnestly desire them the gratification, whereof I could not with modesty and reason tell how to deny, and being privy to my owne sincerity, that I had no base or by end: and last of all, and most of all bei…g affected with the glory of the great GOD, and the salvation of the soules of men which is the best end of all, and knowing true Religion to be the direct meanes, and false Religion to be the greatest hinderance or contradiction thereunto, of which these ensueing lines are the proper Subject; I have in the goodnes of my cause adventured to put them forth to publike view, resolving to abide the hazard what ever can come unto me for the same being confident of these two conclusions: first that if any shall be offended at it without a cause, there can come no hurt to me by it, for whatsoever hurt is done to any person for well doing hurts the doer, but not the person to whom the hurt is done, because they doe but kick against pricks, and persecure Christ in his members, and Christs members in such a case save his life even in losing of it. Secondly, if any shall be offended at it with just cause, reason it self binds them to shew the same, and that shall be for my benefit also, because therby I may come to see mine own infirmity, while I have time to mend it, and to get greater strength, which is the greatest benefit of all, having a mind aswell to see and heare from others, as to speak my selfe, knowing that he can never be a good teacher that is not a good learner: Courteous Reader therefore whosoever thou art let me intreat thee to read over this Booke, with an impartiall eye try it, and search it narrowly. and if good come to thee by it let God have the glory of it, if any thing be evill, let me have thy loving admonition in that particular, and in so doing thou shalt performe a good Office of love to the truth, and to me also, but as my whole intention is in it to set forth the truth so am I not privy of any thing impertinent to that purpose, and if thou upon search shalt finde it so, and shalt profit by it to thy saving instruction, and soules health, I shall have my desire and ever rest,
Thine in the Lord, THOMAS LAMBE.