SECT. IIII.

THese things premised, whereas Anabaptists doe affirme, that no Infants but adult persons onely are to bee baptized accor∣ding to any rule of Christ; I say that that sort of persons, scil. the Infants of inchurched beleevers are to bee baptized, as well as that sort of persons, scil. Adult persons making personall and parti∣cular profession and confession of their faith, &c. and that from the force of Matth. 28. 19, 20. My reasons are,

First, Taken from the subject to bee discipled, and baptized, by commission, scil. all nations, and therefore at least all the specificall parts of the nations, all sorts of persons in the nati∣ons, but not all of every sort. If it bee denied that neither all in∣dividuall persons, nor yet so much as all sorts of persons, scil. some little ones, and babes male and female, as well as some adult persons of both sexes: I would know why the col∣lective nations are mentioned under that title of nations ra∣ther then under that of growne persons of the nations: when God, Gen. 12. promiseth that all nations shall bee blessed in Christ, all sorts of persons, albeit not all of every kind are included, else I cannot see how any Infants can bee saved, unlesse either some are saved which are not blessed in Christ, or if blessed in Christ, yet such as God never promised should bee blessed in Christ: and if so, they have a mediator of Christ to them, but such an one as is not in respect to them, a mediator of the new covenant, yea and so have Christ, a Savour to them, to whom hee is not a covenant, as Esay phraseth it: Chap. 42. and 49. so every man for every sort of men, Heb. 2. 9. and all men, for all sorts of men, Rom. 5. 18. which are not simply all but many rather, vers. 16. compared: so the world for all sorts of persons in it, 1 John 2. 2. how usuall an acceptation, and why should it here in matters of lesse moment be scrupled?

Secondly, taken from the nature of the commission, scil. a charge of Church dispensation of the Gospel, or dispensing of it with Church reference, Marke 16. 15. it is Gospel they are to preach, and this being Gospel, that children of inchurched covenant pa∣rents, were to bee with them also taken into the fellowship of the covenant, and people of God, externally interested in it, as was proved before: and the initiatory scale being a branch of the Gos∣pel, as well as the promise, as baptisme is reckoned, Luke 3. 34. 5, 6. compared with Marke 1. 1, 2, 3, 4. such Infants federall interest in the Church, and initiatory Church seale must needs bee inclu∣ded.

Thirdly, from the latitude of the Church reference to which this commission relateth, albeit with some different respects had to those times and ages following, according as then the Mini∣sters were extraordinary, and Apostolicall, and those succeeding were to bee ordinary Pastours, Teachers: and withall with various respects had to the first foundation, members strictly considered, as such, and others: now that latitude it appeares was such, as tooke in all the visible Churches throughout the world, unto the worlds end: From which if such Infants bee excluded, an actuall and pri∣viledged interest, they are excluded, as was proved in ordinary course from salvation: there being ordinarily none saved, but such as are in the visible Church, or some visible Churches in the world. And if not excluded an actuall interest in some visible Church or other, in the earth; why are they excluded baptisme which is here given to distinguish the inchurched parts of the world, from all other, as well as to ratifie and seale up the cove∣nant to them; there is no time set now to limit them to such a day as of old to the eighth, that that should suspend their jus ad rem, which they had as Abrahams seed, so soone as borne, from be∣ing elicited till the injoyned day.

Fourthly, from that latitude of the nation disciple which taketh in such Infants as well as others, and consequently they are rea∣ched in the commission of being baptized: For Disciples are to be baptized, as our opposites confesse. For proofe of their disciple∣ship I argue thus. All those to whom the thing signified by a di∣sciple as explained in any place of Scripture, is appliable, they are Scipture Disciples: but the former is true of such Infants, ergo the latter. The Major is evident, in that in reason significant names cannot bee denied to persons to whom the thing signified is gran∣ted. Page  186 And the spirit of wisedome would not in any place expound the name by the thing: if that thing it selfe did not give ground worke, to bee so named. If any reply, that it sufficeth not to have the thing signified by the name in one place, unlesse withall, the p•…ty bee qualified with the signified thing in another: as for in∣•…ce, in many Scriptures it signifieth a beleever, &c. this must bee 〈◊〉 in too: to this I answer.

•…irst, I speake of significations of the name, as explained by the 〈◊〉 Ghost himselfe, and if any will refuse that they presume to 〈…〉 holy Ghost to expound his owne words.

•…ly, if wee may not rest in one, or other such a place, but 〈…〉 another way, why not another to that, and so ano∣•…〈◊〉 •…arroweth yet more the signification then that did: yea why 〈◊〉 •…ke in all such places where in any sense it is mentio∣ned? where 〈◊〉 wee stop? and so that exposition of a disciple, Luke 14. 26. must bee taken in as requisite to, according, as Hen. Den. urgeth it, a•d th•n Judas and Demas, and divers others, which forsooke Christ, never hating their owne lives for his sake, could not bee his disciples, yet they were so: and so doth the holy Ghost call Judas, and many others, John 6. yea many that never be∣leeved in Christ himselfe, but did after a sort approve his doctrine, and followed him, albeit for base ends, &c. yet these were di∣sciples and baptized as such, John 4. 12. It's spoken of disciples of Christ in the Pharisees sense, scil. persons addicted to his doctrine, &c. as Disciples of John, of Moses, &c. signifie, and not of persons beleeving in him or them, John 9. When they asked so oft touch∣ing Christ as if they pretended to desire to learne of him, &c. saith the blind man to those Pharisees, Will yee also bee his Disciples or Schollers, &c. vers. 27, 28. Bee thou his disciple, say they &c. not meaning that either should beleeve in him; those many Disciples never beleeved that heavenly doctrine of his, John 6. yet called Di∣sciples, vers. 66. Yea if the latitude of the signification of a Scripture disciple, must all meet in one, to make a compleat definition: then Disciples must bee Apostles, because some were so called which were such. The names of the 12. Disciples, Matthew 10. 1. and the names of the 12. Apostles, vers. 2. are one, see more, Matth. 28. 16. The eleven Disciples, (i. e.) Apostles. It is then enough to attribute that name Disciple to any, to whom the rea∣son and explication of that name, any where in Scripture mentio∣ned, is by the Spirit of God applyed: wee neede not feare to fol∣low Page  185 such a leader, and speake after him, the minor then is to bee proved; that such a signified thing by that name Disciple is appli∣able to such little ones mentioned. For proofe hereof I must take up that wherein I perceive I am prevented by others; yet shall not desist to speake the same thing in substance with them; one to whom drinke or water is given, in Matth. 10. 42. in the name of a Disci∣ple, is expounded by the Spirit, Matth. 9. 41. to be one, to whom it is given in the name of one belonging to Christ. Whence I argue. All such as belong to Christ externally, they are externally his Di∣sciples: such Infants mentioned, belong to Christ externally: there∣fore they are externally Christs Disciples. And the same descripti∣on of a Disciple which shall bee saved holds thus, such as savingly belong to Christ are Disciples which shall bee saved; but it's not needfull to goe so farre in this case: To the saving interest and effi∣cacy of Baptisme, it is required that one savingly belong to Christ, and bee a Disciple savingly in that sense: but to the externall and Church interest in the use of the seale, it's not of necessitie, for then none ought to bee baptized, but such as are in a saving estate, which to us is a secret, and so no ordinary proceeding in mans Court; yea the very place speakes of the case: as one that giveth drinke to another, because to him and in his judgement, hee is a Disciple; for infallibly hee doth not know him, but taketh him rather to bee such a one; and therefore refresheth him. The major therefore of the Syllogisme is in substance the very Text, the minor is evident, such as externally belong to the Church of which Christ is the the head, they doe externally belong to Christ, &c. hence to bee in his Church by externall profession and to bee in him, are put for one, John 15. 2 now that such Infants belong to that Church wee formerly proved, in proving both that they belonged to Christs visible Church and kingdome, and that he was head there∣of also. Mr. B. frameth two answers to a like objection hence, his first wee have already disproved, scil. that Infants also belong to Christ in respect of visible and Church constitution, which hee denyeth. His second is as impertinent, hee saith Christ speakes in Matthew and Marke of Adult persons: true: I never intended to urge it otherwise; but my argument runs, that the signification and reason of the name of Disciple there given, though to growne persons, yet since what is there in that Scripture applied to such; is also appliable to such Infants also, therefore they are Scripture Disciples. So Acts 11. 26. the name Disciples and Christians are Page  186 made Synomyna, in way of distinction from Pagans not of the Church; alike to what is here intended for distinction sake from the rest of the Pagan world, amongst which since the breaking down of the partition wall, I hope Anabaptists will advise better how they place beleeving Gentiles Babes, unlesse they will leave a piece of the old wall standing. Discipled persons in the Text as in refe∣rence to baptizing, implyeth persons externally in the Covenant of grace, unlesse our opposites thinke other then such should bee baptized. Also persons in the visible Church are baptized, unlesse they thinke persons out of any visible Church fellowship may bee in ordinary dispensation baptized: for which extraordinary calls and cases our times meddle not, nor have not, as of old there were some, which yet impeach not our rule of the Church seales given to the Church, for her use and by her preaching Elders to bee dispensed; he then is discipled for Baptisme, which is inchur∣ched, which is in the Schoole of Christ and in peculiar fellowship with the other Schollers there, and in speciall relation to Christ the Teacher of his Church; yea such as to whom in some sense hee preacheth Gospell, as to those Babes in Luke; and howsoever hee teacheth the lowest formes, as I may call them, that sort of per∣sons in his Church, that is some such, he so promiseth to teach them inwardly, that hee doth so appeare in saved Church children; yea so hee may teach Indian Papouses now too. I answer, if wee speake of his absolute power, hee can doe more then he ever will, as to make many other worlds, &c. but to speake of his ordinate and regulate power, so hee can doe but what hee willeth to doe, what his secret will is, not for us, Deut. 29. but according to his revealed will, wee may say that those children being estranged actually from the Covenant and Church they are actually without God and Christ, and hope, but beleevers Infants externall estate is ecclesiastically of another nature. So much for clearing Matth. 28. and confirmation of Paedobaptisme thence.