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 Page  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I say would we could learn this thing of Christ, and leave such things to Christ, which were perso∣nal in him, and not precedential to us.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 Page  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.

Page  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. Page  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: Page  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.

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.

Page  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 〉, 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 〉, 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 Page  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 〉, 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 Page  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 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 〉 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.

Page  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 Page  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, Page  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, Page  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.