Questions of religion cast abroad in Helvetia by the aduersaries of the same: and aunswered by M. H. Bullinger of Zurick: reduced into .17. common places. Translated into Englishe by Iohn Coxe. 1572

The. xxxix. Question.

Whether they beleeue that in∣fants ought to be baptized? and whether they thinke the firste baptisme sufficient, or that men oughte to be baptized againe, when they come to haue the vse of reason?

The Answere.

IT appeareth by this Que∣stion,* 1.1 they minde to make some proofe of vs, what we do thinke of y^e Anabaptists. Wherfore we answere, that euen you

which are the vpholders & maintainers of the Popish kingdom, & the hinderers of the preaching of the gospel, doe most wickedly offende, and that the faulte is cheefely in you, why that many are first seduced by the Anabaptistes, and then secondly for lacke of teaching, do perish in that erroure. For if yée would suffer the pure preaching of the Gospell to haue his frée passage, then coulde not this heresie, nor any other so mightely preuaile and take place, to the deceiuing of simple and vnlearned menne, which thinke what so euer is taughte them, is straight wayes the doctrine of the gos∣pel. Neither go we about to defende the Anabaptist, from whom we discent ve∣ry muche, as in all oure bookes we doe plainely declare. But many of them are very simple menne, and otherwyse of an honest nature, who haue skarce heard any thing of the gospell, or if they haue, yet bicause they sée so little amēd∣ment of life among those y^t professe the same, & are called Gospellers, yéelding to the subtile persuasiōs of the Anabap∣tists, thinke they shuld greatly offend if

they baptise their infants, take an othe, or come vnto those churches, in which as they say, sinners do yet remain. Yea, that no minister which receiueth any stipende for his ministerie, or dothe not him selfe all those things which he tea∣cheth others to doe, can teache the true doctrine: and that there is no congrega∣tion a true churche, in which the order of Prophesying and excommunication is not according to that forme which S. Paule hathe prescribed. 1. Corrin. 14. Therfore, as these their errors are not to be suffred, so yet must they be frend∣ly instructed by the woorde of God, and so broughte home againe, as S. Paule teacheth. Rom. 14. But if they be con∣tentious and stubberne, they muste not yet therfore straight wayes be cast off, but hope better of them, taking héede in the meane time, least they infecte a∣ny other with these their obscure opini∣ons, whilest we looke for their amend∣ment: And if they be not conuerted, yet must we alwayes deale soberly, vertu∣oussy, and holily with them, hauing a consideration of the matter and person,

in correcting and punishing of them.

Other some of them are not of a simple and honest nature, but malitious, trou∣blesome, enuious, couetous, which all their life time haue bene vnquiet and obstinate, euer louing contention, and so falling into that error, doe amongste themselues, raise vp broiles, stirre mē against their Magistrates and Prea∣chers, against othes, against iudgement and punishment, against taxes, rentes, and tiches, and many other things: fur∣thermore they stirre vp contention be∣twene man and wife: and yet notwith∣standing, they cloke and smoothe themselues with a certaine glorious & hipo∣critical kinde of spéeche, to the end they might séeme to be farre honester men, than they are in very déede. For what they would doe, if they might haue frée libertie, we haue good experience in the Monkishe Anabaptistes. If therefore these menne which are so malitious, might be fréely suffred, & no punishmēt done vnto them, the common wealthe would quite be ouerthrowne, as expe∣rience dothe teache vs. And these men

being the heades of this faction, abusing the simple sort, do in like manner stirre them vp to be contentious and raise tu∣multes. Wherupon being thus instru∣cted, although they be manifestly ouer∣throwne by the truthe, yet leaue they not their erroure, nor will receiue any godly instruction, but despise the gen∣tlenesse and mercy of the Magistrate, neuer kéeping touche, though they pro∣misse and sweare neuer so muche, ha∣uing no regard to honestie, neuer cease to molest and trouble the congregatiōs with their rash and seditious dealings. And touching these menne, what bothe Gods lawe and mannes, dothe decrée of them, it is manifestly knowne: where∣fore, we doe not goe about to excuse any suche, neither haue we any felowship with them, or with their teachers, nor yet by Gods grace minde we to haue. Touching the baptisme of infantes, it* 1.2 hathe his aucthoritie from the scripture. For bicause we all confesse that Bap∣tisme is, a signe of the couenaunte and people of God: and that it cannot be de∣nyed that infants are in the couenaunt

of God, and are numbred with his peo∣ple: therfore baptisme which is y^e signe heereof, cannot be denyed vnto them. Againe, S. Peter in the Actes teacheth,* 1.3 that they oughte to be baptized, which haue the holy Ghost: But if the infants of the faithfull had not the holy Ghost, then should they not belong vnto God, neither should they be holy, nor haue the kingdome of God: But they are be∣longing to God. Rom. 8. they are holy. 1. Corinth. 7. and to them belongeth the* 1.4 kingdome of heauen. Mar. 10. Therfore they ought to be baptized. But there is no néede we should be baptized againe, when we come to the vse of reason, be∣ing once in our infancie baptized in the name of the father, the sonne, and of the holy ghost. For if we should be baptized againe, yet could we haue no more than we had before, only this wold remain, that heereby we should deface our for∣mer baptisme, to the great displeasing of God, the breache of lawes, and the incurring into the daunger and punish∣ment thereof.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of the Ana∣baptistes.
• * 1.2

  Baptisme of infantes.
• * 1.3

  Actes. 10.
• * 1.4

  Anabaptism