The infants advocate of circumcision on Jewish and baptisme on Christian children. By Thomas Fuller, B.D.
About this Item
Title
The infants advocate of circumcision on Jewish and baptisme on Christian children. By Thomas Fuller, B.D.
Author
Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.
Publication
London :: Printed by R. Norton, for J. Williams, at the Crown in S. Pauls Church-yard,
M.DC.LIII. [1653]
Rights/Permissions
To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Subject terms
Infant baptism -- Early works to 1800.
Circumcision -- Religious aspects -- Early works to 1800.
Cite this Item
"The infants advocate of circumcision on Jewish and baptisme on Christian children. By Thomas Fuller, B.D." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/a85020.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 9, 2024.
Pages
descriptionPage 147
CHAP. XVIII. Other Objections Answered.
THe Grand Objections thus cleared,
such as remain will be easily satisfied,
as followeth.
Object. It is pride and presumption
for any to account themselves fitter and
forwarder for Baptism, then Christ him∣self
was. Now Christ himself was not
Baptized, Luke 3. 23. till he began to be a∣bout
thirty years of Age, none ought there∣fore
to prevent that date of time in their
Baptism.
Answ. Though Christ was not bapti∣zed
till thirty years of Age, remember he
was circumcised, Luke 2. 21. on the eighth
day. Secondly, Christ was not Bapti∣zed
out of necessity, (needing no soul-physick,
who had no soul-sicknesse) but a
voluntary design to Baptize baptism, and to
give a soveraign vertue thereunto. Third∣ly,
Many of Christs actions were for our
instruction, not imitation. Christ pre∣sently
descriptionPage 148
after his Baptism fasted fourty days,
and fourty nights, which the urgers of this
argument will not pretend unto.
Discover we here a corruption too
rife in all our hearts: Such is the froward∣nesse
of our crosse-grain'd nature, that
we lazily stand still and admire such acti∣ons
of Christ, which we ought to follow,
and vainly strive to follow those his acti∣ons
which we ought to admire. Oh that
we all would learn of him, Mat. 11. 29.
to be meek and lowly of heart, to think
more humbly of our selves, and more
charitably of others; I say would we
could learn this thing of Christ, and leave
such things to Christ, which were perso∣nal
in him, and not precedential to us.
Object. Had Christ in his judgement, al∣lowed,
and approved the baptizing of In∣fants,
surely he would have baptized such
children, which, Mark 10. were brought
unto him, whereas his omission thereof,
plainly argues Christs disaffection to the
same.
Answ. Christ in his own person Bapti∣zed
descriptionPage 149
none at all, as we read, John 4. 2. an
office improper for him to perform. How
unfit had it been for our Saviour thus to
Baptize those Infants, I Jesus Baptize this
Infant into the Name of Jesus? If S. Paul ac∣counted
it beneath his place to Baptize,
1 Cor. 1. 17. For Christ sent me not to Ba∣ptize,
but to preach the Gospel: How much
was the ministration thereof too mean for
our Saviour? Indeed Christ came in all
humility, to be a pattern of patience unto
us, and condescended to mean imploy∣ments,
as (John 13. 5.) the washing of his
Disciples feet; yet alwayes he observed,
(though not state) decency in all his acti∣ons,
and stood much, though not on the
pomp, on the propriety of what he per∣formed;
as here in his declining to Baptize
any. When a Lord hath signed a Letter
with his own hand, it is usual with him to
consign the sealing thereof to his Secretary
or some other servant; so when Christ
had instituted Baptism, and with his own
hand confirmed the soveraign vertue of
that Sacrament, it well befitted his digni∣ty
to command, and his disciples duty to
perform the administration thereof.
descriptionPage 150
Object. Grant that Christ, for the rea∣sons
by you alledged, concluded it unfit∣ting
for himself to Baptize those Infants,
yet had he approved Pedo-baptism in his
own judgement, he would have designed
some of his Disciples for the doing there∣of.
This not done, we may infallibly in∣fer
his dislike of the same.
Answ. A negative argument of this na∣ture
is of no validity. No mention is made
of these Infants Baptizing. Ergo, they were
not Baptized: we may observe a grada∣tion
in the Evangelists relating this story,
Luke 18. 17. mentioneth their blessing
only without any manner of gesture at all
used by our Saviour unto them. Mat. 19.
15. only takes notice that Christ laid his
hands on them, and departed thence, Mark
10. 16. registreth all three remarkable
actions, He took them up in his arms, laid
his hands on them, and blessed them; Saint
John addeth, chap. 21. 21. And there are
also many other things which Jesus did,
which are not written, amongst which for
ought appears to the contrary, the Bapti∣zing
of these infants might be one of them.
descriptionPage 151
However grant they were not formally
and solemnly Baptized, yet we may ob∣serve
Baptism consisteth of two parts, the
application of water, which we may call
the body, and the impression of the blessing,
which we may terme the soul of Baptism.
The later which indeed was the principal,
was here conferr'd on babes, which shews
them capable of the other, as being the
lesse Spiritual part of the Sacrament.
Object. Sacraments ought not to be
prostituted to profane persons, Mat. 7. 6.
cast not pearls before swine; But many In∣fants
are impious and profane, therefore
they ought not to be Baptized.
Answ. This Objection may with e∣qual
advantage, be also enforced against
the Baptizing of men arrived at years of
discretion, many of them are profane in
their hearts, though they cunningly dis∣semble
the same. Hypocrites will never
be kept out of the Church; Be the doors
thereof barr'd and bolted never so close,
they will creep in at the windows; yea,
through the chinks and crevesses thereof:
descriptionPage 152
As for Infants, Baptism ought to be deny∣ed
unto them if they manifested any pro∣fanenesse:
Till which time charity com∣mands
us to believe them not Swine, but
Lambs, and capable of the Sacrament.
Object. Children are unable to discharge
an essential requisite to Baptism: Seeing
what equipage Baptism is martialled by
Christs own Commission, Mat. 28. 19,
20.
1. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations.
2. Baptizing in the Name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the
holy Ghost, &c.
3. Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you.
Here we have the safe and sure posi∣tion
of Baptism as God himself ordered it:
It is placed in the middle betwixt adou∣ble
teaching, one in the front, and ano∣ther
in the rear thereof; a precedent teach∣ing
must usher in Baptism, and the subse∣quent
teaching must afterwards wait upon
it; Children therefore being incapable
of this praevious and preparative teaching
are incapable also of Baptism which de∣pendeth
thereupon.
descriptionPage 153
Answ. The method prescribed here
by Christ to his Apostles, was only to be
used by them in their preaching to pure
Pagans grown up to be men, and this
their commission properly extended unto
the Gentiles, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Going therefare, that is in
due time leaving this land of Pale∣stine,
(wherein you live for the pre∣sent)
when you shall be accomplish∣ed
with the Spirit, make your pro∣gresse
into far distant parts, and there
teach.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, All Nations, the word pro∣perly
importing Heathens formerly
unacquainted with God & his word.
Such people must first be taught be∣fore
they may be Baptized.
This text therefore may justly be char∣ged
against the Papists in America, where
thousands of Natives were cruelly driven
with whips to the Font to be baptized,
before they were ever Catechized in any
rudiments of Christian Religion, but
cannot at all be objected against the ba∣ptizing
of infants, the children of Chri∣stian
descriptionPage 154
parents; the teaching of Heathen
(and those of full age) being only intend∣ed
in this command.
Thus have we given the true and genu∣ine
sence of these words, Go ye therefore
and teach all Nations baptizing them, &c.
However we will not omit another in∣terpretation
which godly Divines give
thereof, consonant to Scripture phrase.
They render the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, make
disciples, in which sence they maintaine
that infants are capable of disciple-ship,
and may be inlisted therein. For
proof hereof they produce Acts 15. 10.
why tempt ye God, to put a yoak upon the
neck of the disciples. Now this yoak was
Circumcision, which some stickled so zea∣lously
for, and these disciples were in∣fants
eight days old on whom that Sacra∣ment
was fastened. In this sence children
may be taught, that is, discipled before
baptism, and so the text nothing favour∣ing
the purpose of the objectors, though
I rather adhere to the former answer, as
most proper to the text.
Here will it be seasonable to interpose
an admonition to parents. You see in
descriptionPage 155
Christs commission to his Disciples, the
Divine method in dispensation of ordi∣nances
to Ethnicks: 1. Teach. 2. Baptize.
3. And Teach. But towards the children
of Christian parents, it is, 1. Baptize.
2. Teach and teach. What is wanting in
the precedent, Teach, let it be supplied
over and above in the consequent Teach,
to make amends for the preparatory Teach,
before baptism (whereof infants age is
incapable) let there be a duplicate, dou∣ble
your endeavours in the confirming
Teach, so soon as they shal be able to learn.
Line upon line, Precept upon precept▪ here
a little, and there a little, dropping in in∣struction
as the vessel is able to receive.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Scripture, (as we have formerly
observed (always signifieth a sucking child:
Now it is said of Timothy, 2 Tim. 3. 15.
that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉from a childe he had known
the holy Scriptures▪ Not when a childe,
but from a child. Infancy was the termi∣nus
à quo, from whence his learning of
Scripture bears date: How timely did he
start in the race of Religion, by the dire∣ction
of his devout parents, who herein
may be exemplary unto all others.
descriptionPage 156
Now let parents think to cast off their
care on those who are Sponsores or Susce∣ptores,
Godfathers to their children: as
I deny not an ancient and useful institution
of them in the Primitive times, so can I
not but bemoan, that our age hath turned
the same into a formality or Christian
complement: Judah said to Simeon, Judg.
1. ••. Come up with me into my lot, and I
likewise will go up with thee into thy lot; So
men exchange and barter this office be∣twixt
them, answer thou for my child to day,
and I on like occasion will answer for thine,
the civility is discharged by both, when the
christianity too oft is performed by nei∣ther:
I look therfore on Godfathers gene∣rally,
as on brasse Andirons, standing more
for sight then service, ornament, then use,
whiles the main weight and stresse in per∣forming
the promise, must lie on the pa∣rents
themselves do discharge, in teaching
and teaching their Baptized Infants.
Object. The deaf and dumb are not
to be admitted to Baptism, though adult
and full grown, because of their inability
to give an account of their faith: But chil∣dren
descriptionPage 157
are ranked in the same form with the
deaf and dumb, therefore they ought not
to be admitted unto Baptism: This is the
thirty sixth▪ and last argument, (amongst
many frivolous ones) alledged by the
Transilvanian Anabaptists, against the
baptizing of infants, placing, belike, much
confidence therein, to hem and conclude
all the rest.
Answ. Both propositions are false:
First, If the dumb and deaf can with signs
and gestures (which nature hath made in
them marvelously expressive) evidence
and testifie their faith, they must be ad∣mitted
to Baptism, as the third Councel
of Carthage did decide. Secondly, Chil∣dren
are not in the same, but a better con∣dition:
Those Mutes after maturity, can
never recover their hearing and speech
but by miracle, whereas Infants naturally
are capable of both in due season.
We read Mark 7. 32. that they brought
one to our Saviour that was deaf, and had
an impediment in his speech, not that he
was only troubled with a lisping, or sta∣mering,
but that he was directly dumb,
descriptionPage 158
as appears by the peoples acclamations,
vers. 37. when the miracle was wrought
upon him, he maketh both the deaf to hear,
and the dumb to speak; and generally those
infirmities are twins, going both together;
yet Christ discovered in him a sufficiency
of faith, such as he was pleased to accept
for his bodily cure.
How more comfortably then may
Christian parents presume that God will
graciously behold their Infants, who
though deaf (that is not hearing to under∣stand)
and dumb, not able to speak, may in
processe of time arrive to the use of both.
That God I say, who when with a favou∣rable
eye he looks for goodnesse in any
heart, findeth and fixeth it there by his
favourable looking for it.
Besides, such persons defective in their
senses, (though full in age) may, ponere
obicem, by their prave dispositions put a
bar or obstacle, wilfully to defeat the ef∣fect
of Baptism, and their right thereun∣to.
This cannot be done by infants; their
very worst enemies who deny them actu∣al
faith, yea, any dispositive degree there∣unto,
descriptionPage 159
dare not charge them with what I
may terme positive infidelity. As for ori∣ginal
sin, that can be no bar, because Ba∣ptism
was designed by God for the wash∣ing
away thereof.
God is no Mountebank, his receipts do
the deed for which they were prescribed:
Indeed if the patient, (besides that disease
for the cure whereof Gods receipt is given
him) shall by his own intemperance wil∣fully
contract a new malady, no wonder
if this Physick fall short of the cure for
which it was intended; But infants, not
being able to draw on themselves any
other sin, we cannot but in charity be∣lieve
their undoubted right unto, and be∣nefit
by baptism.
email
Do you have questions about this content? Need to report a problem?
Please contact us.