The infants advocate of circumcision on Jewish and baptisme on Christian children. By Thomas Fuller, B.D.

CHAP. V. The Grand Objection answered, drawn from the Incapacity of Jewish Infants to Covenant at eight dayes old. (Book 5)

THE Goliath-Objection, generally brought against the Jewish chil∣dren bing Covenanters, is taken from their seeming inability to perform the stipulation, or counterpart of a Cove∣nant. Is not a childe called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Greek, from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 not a word in his mouth, and Infants in the same sence from a negative in and fando speaking? Yea, so much as a childe can speak, and so much as may be conjectured by his outward carriage, he maketh use of his negative voyce, and remonstrates against the Covenant, as un∣willing to receive the same, seeing every Infant may probably be presumed to cry as forced from him by the pain of Cir∣cumcision.

In answer hereunto, first in generall; It is enough to satisfie a sober soul, and content a modest minde herein, that God hath appointed such children at eight dayes old to be Covenanters, and that al∣so nomine poenae in case the same be omit∣ted. That God, who never calls any to any employment, but ever inables them for the same, at leastwise with such a de∣gree of sufficiencie which he is pleased to accept. Such as question the truth hereof, do tacitly, and interpretatively, charge God with want of wisdome in his pro∣ceedings. Let them whisper no longer, but plainly speak out, that He lacks dis∣cretion to manage his matters, Isai. 40. 13. Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counseller, hath taught him? The proud objecters might well give him their advise, hereafter to choose wiser parties with whom to make a Covenant, then children of eight dayes old.

What Charter hath this whole World to shew for its being, other then Gods bare fiat, Let it be. I have blessed him, (saith Isaac of Jacob, Gen. 27. 33.) yea, and bee shall be blessed. God hath made eight-dayes-old-children

Covenanters, and they shall be Covenanters.

More particularly, to come to the Ob∣jection: I conceive the soul of an Infant may fitly be compared to the cloud which went before the Israelites, Exod. 14. 20. dark on the one side, but light on the re∣verse thereof. That part of the Infants soul exposed to humane eyes, is dark and obscure, no abilities at all discovera∣ble therein; whilest the bright side of Infants souls is objected to Gods eye, be∣holding in them what wee cannot per∣ceive.

No wonder if men be non-plust about the actions of Infants souls, when every Infant is an heap of riddles cast together, whereof the least and lowest is too great, and high for man to understand. David ingenuously confesseth, Psal. 139. 6. that he was fearfully and wonderfully made. The fashioning of the members of his body being so strange a work in nature, that the knowledge thereof was too wonderfull for him, and so high that he could not at∣tain unto it. If he was posed with the cask, the case, and the shell, the admira∣ble

structure of a babes body, let it not seem strange to us to be puzled with the operations of an Infants soul, how the same is able to covenant with God.

It passeth the skill of the greatest Di∣vine, to clear and evidence the entrance of Originall sinne into an Infants soul: Whose spirit, coming immediatly from God, must needs be pure, and perfect like the maker thereof. Nor can this soul, thus pure in it self, be infected from the body, which being but a livelesse lump of flesh is incapable of sin, especially so as to make an active impression on the soul. Soul, and bodie of Infants, thus being severally sinlesse, who can conceive that the union of two clean things, can produce one unclean? I mean, originall corruption. Yet we all see by wofull ex∣perience, that Infants from their concepti∣on are infected therewith: That it is there we know, but how it came thither, God knowes.

If we cannot perceive the manner of sins poison, no wonder if we cannot con∣ceive the method of graces antidote in Infants souls. Let us allow heaven to be

as incomprehensibly miraculous in heal∣ing, as hell hath been insensibly subtile in hurting the same. And, seeing God hath expressed thus much, that Infants are cal∣led by him to be Covenanters, let us with humility, and modesty beleeve them, to be enabled with a proportion of grace, to discharge their covenant in relation, though it transcend our capacity to clear all doubts, and difficulties, which may be multiplied about the manner thereof.

In further clearing this Objection, know, that besides such graces which wee are bound to beleeve in Infants hearts, they have three things else which assist them in this Covenant.

1. Their Parents faith tendring them to God.

2. Gods goodnesse accepting the ten∣der.

3. Their own actuall performance of the Covenant, if living to years of dis∣cretion.

First, their Parents faith in tendering them. Appliable to this purpose is that expression recorded by three of the E∣vangelists, brought in a bed by four, who

finding no door in the side (such the presse of people) made one in the roof of the house, and let him down by cords into the room where our Saviour was. Jesus seeing their faith, Matth. 9. 2. When Jesus saw their faith, Mark 2. 5. And when hee saw their faith, Luke 5. 20.

Two things herein are considerable; first, that the faith of the bearers was a motive, and inducement to our Saviour the more speedily with favour to reflect on this sick man. Secondly that the words their faith, are taken inclusively, taking in a fift faith to the former four, namely the faith of Him, who lay sick on the Bed. However, here we see that the beheste of friends, concurred to the expediting of his Cure, and (though let down but by four cords) he was lifted up into Christs favour with a five-fold Cable of faith, which cannot be broken.

Nearer is the Relation betwixt Parent and childe, then friend and friend. When therefore a pious Father, Mother, or (best then, when) both, shall with the armes of their faith, offer an Infant (who indeed is a part of themselves) to God

in Circumcision, this must needs bee a main Motive (through Gods mercy, and no otherwise) to induce Him graciously to behold the Present tendred unto Him.

Thus the faith of Abraham and Sarah advantageth Isaac into Gods love, the faith of Isaac and Rebeccah recommen∣ded and preferred Jacob at his Circumci∣sion into Gods favour.

Secondly, at Circumcision the childes weaknesse to covenant is assisted by Gods acceptance thereof. That is well spoken, which is well taken. How simple and slen∣der soever a childs performance is at Cir∣cumcision, how low and little soever his faith is, God stoops (such his gracious condescension) to take it up; He makes, (as I may say) a long arm, to reach a short one, and so both meet together.

Lastly, this strengtheneth the Covenant then made by the childe, that afterwards, if arriving at years of discretion, he pub∣likely ratifieth, and confirmeth the same with his own actuall faith, evidenced to others in his pious conversation. Men used to say of Plato his Scholers, That their Masters Precepts, did freez in them,

till they were about fifty yeers old, and then began to thaw in them, till the day of their death, meaning that the good counsels he gave them made no visible impression on the amendment of their manners, till the heat of their youth was overpast, and they come to their reduced age. Cir∣cumcision, may be said to freez in Infants, as to any eminent outward effect thereof, during their Minority, the vigor and ver∣tue thereof is dormant, and seeming∣ly dead in them, but when come to the vse of Reason, then it raiseth and rouzeth it self, namely when the Party makes good the Covenant, made by him before, and then the strength of that Sacrament had a powerfull influence on their souls all the dayes of their lives. And although there ought to be no iteration of outward Circumcision, which done once, is done for ever, yet inwardly to circumcise their souls, was the dayly task of all devout Jews, and ought to be our constant im∣ployment, and a word or two briefly of the nature thereof.