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?