Philadelphia: or, XL. queries peaceably and inoffensively propounded for the discovery of truth in this question, or case of conscience; whether persons baptized (as themselves call baptism) after a profession of faith, may, or may not, lawfully, and with good conscience, hold communion with such churches, who judg themselves truly baptized, though in infancy, and before such a profession? Together with some few brief touches about infant, and after-baptism. By J.G. a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

XXIV.

Whether is not the Baptizing of Children, by the Apostles and other Baptists appointed by them in their days, sufficiently signified and implyed in those passages (especially in conjunction with the known Law and Custom of circumcising children amongst the Jews) where they are recorded to have baptized housholds, or families, without exception of any person in any one of them? as Act. 16. 33. 1 Cor. 1. 16. Act. 16. 15. &c. Or can there any arguments or conjectures be levyed from the Scriptures to prove the contrary, which will balance or hold weight against these; considering, 1. That it is at no hand probable, that God, who had made a Law against him, that should open or dig a pit in his field, and not cover it d 1.1, would, not only have left the precept and per∣petual example of circumcising Infants by the Jews, as a pit uncovered for Believers, both Jews and Gentiles under the Gospel, to fall into, by baptizing their Children, without giving the least notice of the alteration of his mind in this behalf, but also have digged this pit yet broader, deeper, and wider, by causing the bap∣tizing of several families to be recorded in the New Testament, without the least mention or intimation of the passing by children in the Administration; 2. That that which is commonly replyed to disable these passages as to the proof of Infant-Baptism, is ex∣treamly weak, and no ways satisfactory; viz. that it is elsewhere said of whole housholds and families that they believed, which (say the Replyers) doth not imply, that children are here included, or that they believed, this (I say) is unsatisfactory; in as much as, 1. Children may in a sence (and this very frequent in the Scrip∣tures) be said to believe, i. e. to be in the state and condition of

Believers, in respect of the love and favor of God, in title to the * 1.2 Kingdom of Heaven, &c. yea and are by Christ himself (in these respects) expresly said to believe, Mat. 18. 6. And, 2. Were it granted, that children are in no sence capable of believing, and in this respect cannot be included, when it is said of whole houses, that they believed; yet are they as capable of being Baptized, or (as our Brethren will needs have it) of being dipped (yea in some respect more capable hereof) as men; and consequently can upon no tolerable account be thought to be excluded, when it is said of whole houses or families that they were dipped; as (for instance) because, when Johns Disciples said, And all men come unto him, [Joh. 3. 26.] Children must needs be excluded, and not contain∣ed in the word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all men, in as much as they were in no capacity of coming; it doth not follow from hence, that therefore when the Apostle saith, that Christ by the grace of God tasted Death for all men, [Heb. 2. 9.] and so again, that it is appoint∣ed for men (meaning, all men) once to dye, [Heb. 9. 27.] Chil∣dren must be here excluded also, and not be comprehended in the general term, all men; in as much as they are as well capable as men, of such a grace, as Christs dying for them imports, and so of dying themselves, though they are not capable of coming unto any man to be baptized: 3. Considering, that men ought not to contend with God, or to reject any part of his Counsel or Will, because it is only somewhat sparingly, and with some scant∣ness of evidence, discovered in his Word, but to rest satisfied with that measure or degree of revelation of things, which he judgeth meet to vouchsafe unto them, until further light shall shine: 4. That they who are dissatisfied with that discovery, which learn∣ed Paedobaptists make unto them from the Scriptures, of the will and mind of God for the Baptizing of Infants, do readily embrace and entertain many other notions and opinions upon far weaker, and less lightsom grounds of conviction, as viz. the common Doctrines or Tenents concerning Original Sin, admission of wo∣men to the Lords Table, the observation of the Sabbath on the first day of the week (yea some of them on the last day,) the re∣ception of the Soul into Heaven, and happiness, immediately up∣on death, (with many other things, which we shall not now men∣tion,) not that I mention these with dislike of the common opini∣on

about them all, but only to shew, that as the generality of the Jews rejected the true Messiah notwithstanding all the true and real Miracles which he wrought amongst them, and yet entertain∣ed false Messiahs one after another, with their counterfeit and ly∣ing miracles; so do the generality of Anti-Paedobaptists reject In∣fant-Baptism, notwithstanding the many real and substantial proofs, by which it is commended and confirmed unto them, in the mean time bowing down their Judgments and Consciences to such Doctrines, which have little but hay and stubble to support them. 5. (And lastly) That God doth expect, that men should dig for the treasure of Truth, and of his Counsel, even where it lies much deeper under-ground, then Infant-Baptism doth in several of those Texts of Scripture, which have been argued by learned men of that Judgment, in proof thereof; yea and hath reproved men for their unmanlike oscitancy, and neglect in this behalf? Per∣use and consider diligently these Texts and Passages at your leasure (because it would be too long to argue them,) Mat. 12 3, 4, 5, 7. Mat. 23. 16, 17, 18, 19, &c. Mat. 22. 29, 31, 32, &c. Luk 24. 25, 26. Acts 7. 25, 26. (to omit others.)

Notes

• d 1.1

  Exod. 21. 33 34
• * 1.2

  Similia simili¦um occupait nomina. Hur. Grot. in Act. 13 33. Multa offi••∣mantur simpli∣citer & forma∣liter, quae per equivalentiam seu comparatio∣nem tantum sunt intelligen∣da: Vid. ••ai, 66. 3. 1 Tim. 5. 8 Matt. 19. 12 Rom. 11, 15, &c.