The font-guard routed, or, A brief answer to a book written by Thomas Hall superscribed with this title, The font guarded with 20 arguments therein endeavouring to prove the lawfulness of infant baptism wherein his arguments are examined and being weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary are found too light : the most considerble of Mr. Baxters arguments for infant-baptism being produced by Tho. Hall are here answered likewise / written by Tho. Collier ; to which is added A word of reply to Tho. Halls word to Collier and another to John Feriby's [ap]pendix called The pulpit-guard relieved ; with An answer to Richard Sanders's pretended Balm to heal religious wounds, in answer to The pulpit-guard routed : with an humble representation of some few proposals to the honorable committee appointed by the Parliament for propagation of the Gospel.

The 20. Objection you mention, is,

• ...That Baptizing is dipping.
• ...But your Infants are not dipped.
• Ergo, They are not Baptized.

You answer 1. That dipping is a thing indifferent, and not absolutely necessary or essential to Baptism: there may be true Baptism, where there is no dipping, &c.

2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to Baptize is one thing, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to plunge over head and ears, is another, &c.

Answ. Its one and the same; for the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth to dip as your self confess, pag. 113. though not only to dip: you say the Primitive word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 hath four severall significations: 1. To drownd, plunge or overwhelm, 2. To dye or dip. 3. To moysten or make wet. 4. To wash or cleanse. Note 1. It doth not by your own confession signifie to sprinkle: you have said enough to satisfie any that desireth satisfaction in this particular, that your Practise of sprinkling, is not according to the Scripture; and in truth, sprinkling is another word, and another thing then Baptizing; Rantizo is the Greek word for sprinkling, and Baptizo from Bapto is the Greek word for Baptizing: take it in which of these four you please; neither of them is to sprinkle; but in dipping, either of all the four is fulfilled; if dipped, then wet, then washed, then drowned or plunged; so that dipping is nothing short of Baptizing, for the word signifieth it; its nothing beyond Baptism; for it is but a plunging, a wetting, or washing of the whole man: so that take in all the significations of that word Baptizo, dip∣ping answers them all; but sprinkling answers neither; and in deed and truth, is not baptizing, but another thing, and that which Christ never commanded. Sprinkling a little water in the face is not a dip∣ping or plunging, it is not a wetting or washing the whole man, and in no case answers the command of Christ.

But for the clearing of this particular, I shall give these

four grounds, to confirm dipping to be the true baptizing, and not sprinkling.

1. From the signification of the word, as hath been already minded, it is the conclusion of all the Masters of the Greek Tongue, in the Greek Lexicons, that the first, and most native, and proper significati∣on of Baptizo is to dip or plunge into, or under water: and this your self confesse, that 1. It signifieth to drown, plunge, overwhelm, die or dip; this Mr. Lee in his Critica Sacra on the word, and Passor, with divers others affirms, whom I suppose you conclude were Masters of the Greek Tongue; and this likewise Doctor Featly in his Dipper Dipt confesseth; and this I finde, that the word Baptizo is ne∣ver rendred in the New-Testament to sprinkle, nor Rantizo to Bap∣tize; therefore do no longer wrest the truth contrary to your own knowledge, but be still, and know that God is God.

2. From the Practise of the Servants of the Lord in the Primitive times, who best knew the minde of Christ: 1. John who was the Messenger of Christ, Mal. 3. 1. Baptized; and he baptized in Jordan, Mat. 3 6. And he baptized Christ himself in Jordan, ver. 16. with Mark 1. 9. and he came up out of the water. What need Christ and John go down into the water, if sprinkling would do the deed? And the Text saith, Mat. 3. 13. That Jesus cometh to John to be baptized, that is, upon Mr. Hales one account, to be plunged, dipped, wet, or washed, not sprinkled, and being dip'd he was both wet and washed. And Joh. 3. 23. its said, That John was baptizing (not sprinkling) in Enon neer Salim, because there was much water there; If sprinkling had been the thing required, no need of much water. To this, you say, 1. Water was scarce in those hot Countries; that infers not a strip∣ping naked, and plunging of all that were Baptized, but only the conveni∣ency of baptizing a multitude, &c.

Answ. 1. Do you know, or have you heard of any such hot Coun∣try, where there could not be water had enough to sprinkle many thousands, if need require? 2. Was Canaan such a Country as that water was scarce in it, being the promised fruitfull Land in the whole world, a type of the Heavenly Canaan? where were Wells digged, Deut. 6. 11. Neh. 9. 25. and Rivers in abundance, or else the Type holds not correspondence to the Antitype, Ezek. 34. 13 Is. 12. 3. Therefore for shame talk no more of a dry and hot Country; it being a Land of Rivers and Wells digged, &c. So that if a little water would have done it, as a little would have sprinkled thousands, they needed not

to have been baptized in Enon; so the word is not at, but in Enon; and so these several places translated with water, Mat. 3. 11. Mark 1. 8. Luk. 3. 6. Iohn 1. 26. Act. 1. 5. in the Greek it is rendred in every one of them in water; although you seem to hold forth that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 some∣times signifieth with; yet the proper signification of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is in, and is so understood and rendred twenty times in the New Testament against once with; that being the proper signification of the word, and most sutable to the Practise of the Apostles and servants of the Lord. Compare the former Scriptures with Act 8. 38. and its clear they bap∣tized in the water, not because of the scarcity of water as you pretend, but because there was much water, without which that Ordinance of dipping could not be administred. As for your Font-sprinkling there is not the least shadow of any ground for it in the Scripture; and whereas you say, not a stripping naked, &c. the Scripture mentions no such thing, neither is it our Practise, nor yours neither. Do you use to strip naked when you sprinkle? neither do we when we baptize, &c.

2. You say, Suppose the Apostles did dip those whom they baptized, yet 'twill not follow therefore that we must do so too, because tis only an example without a precept, and so doth not binde us, &c.

Answ. 1. There was the precept both to them and us. 2. they knew the will of him who gave the precept, and walked according to it, and we by their president know what the precept was, and so its a precept to us as well as them.

They lived in Judea in hot climates where was no danger of dipping &c.

Answ. 1. And was there one way for them in Judea, and another for us in England? prove that by Scripture when you write next.

2. Was their Country so much hotter then ours? had they not Winter and Summer, heat and cold, frost and snow, as we have? Ioh. 10. 22. Psal. 74. 17. Ier. 36. 22. Psal. 148. 8. Therefore give off this for shame likewise. Say no more their Country was hot, and ours cold. You say, The danger of dipping in our cold Country, is, that many in our dayes have dyed. If you intend the dipping of Believers, you speak a horrid untruth: I am confident that never one perished in that way. But secondly, if you minde dipping of Infants, I know none are dipped. 2. If any be, no wonder if they perish, being done out of Gods way having no warrant from him.

You confess Mr. Perkins approves of dipping in hot Countries, and in men of years, but denies the use of it to Infants, because of their health.

Answ. First, is not this Country hot enough to Dip? they had winter

who dipped, as well as we; but no wonder if it be dangerous to the health of Infants; let it be administred to the right Subjects, viz. Be∣lievers, and you need not doubt of dipping. Whereas you question it for sick and old folks, pag. 115. I say there is no such necessity to Baptize such in Winter, God will have mercy and not sacrifice: let them stay till Summer; but take heed, change not the Ordinance from Dipping to Sprinkling; that is a dangerous thing. But you confess pag. 114. That dipping is a lawfull manner of Baptizing; in this you have confuted all you have said to this particular either before or after: For if dipping be a lawfull manner of Baptizing, then first sprinkling is unlawfull, for there is but one lawfull way of baptizing; the Scri∣pture I am sure mentions no more, there is but one Baptism. 2. Then our dipping is lawfull. 3. You have done ill service in all you have said to render a practise so contemptible, which is as you confess in it self lawfull.

1. You say, The Scripture cals sprinkling baptizing.

Ans. No such thing: Let any examine the Scriptures you produce; see if you speak true or false. Heb. 9. 10, 13, 19, 21. You say, the word signifieth washing as well as dipping. Ans. Granted; but sprinkling is neither washing nor dipping.

2. In Circumcision a little skin in one part only was cut off.

An. That was done according to the command; so should Baptism, which is a dipping (as you confess) and we may not make our selves wiser then Christ, in inventing new wayes that he never required: therein we do indeed shew our pride, and are but fools.

3. Washing, sprinkling, is a safer way, &c.

Ans. 1. Sprinkling is not washing, but dipping is. 2. As to safety in doubtfull cases, I have answered already.

4. Sprinkling is sufficient, because the thing signified is set forth by sprinkling, &c.

Ans. There is no such thing: for though the blood of Christ be one thing signified in Baptism, yet there are other things signified in it; and yet sprinkling doth not reach this of the applying the blood of Christ so fully as dipping, which is a washing of the whole man; representing, that as truly as the whole body is washed by dipping in water, so those who are baptized upon the true account shal be wholly washed from not only the guilt of sin but from the filth and presence of it. Which shall be my 3. ground, that dipping, and not sprinkling is the true Baptism.

3. Because the things signified are not so significantly resembled in sprinkling as they are in baptizing, viz. in dipping. 1. As I have al∣ready said, the whole washing away of sin. 2. An outward conformity to Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection; wherein is represented our spiritual death to sin, and resurrection to newness of life, Rom. 6. 3, 4, 5. and this is not, cannot be resembled by sprinkling. And not∣withstanding you are pleased in way of reproach to say, Then they must drown themselves under water, as Christ lay buried three dayes &c. Note here, you say, they must lie three dayes under water; yet before, you confess, dipping is a lawful way of baptizing.

You say, Should you grant a necessity of this resemblance and repre∣sentation; yet why may not sprinkling represent it as well, &c?

Ans. 1. I leave it to all rational men to judge, whether sprinkling a little water in the face doth represent a death and burial with Christ, as well as a dipping into and under water. 2. I shall give you the Judgment of one approved and learned, Mr. Tho. Goodwin, in his Support of faith from Christs resurrection, ch. 7. p. 54. He saith, Rom. 6. 3, 4. We are said to be buried with him in baptism, & Col. 2. 12. Buried with him in baptism. It is not simply said, Like as he was buri∣ed, &c. but, Buried with him. So our communion and oneness with him in his resurrection is represented to us therein, and not only our conformity or likeness unto him therein. And so Baptism representeth this to us; that Christ having once in himself sustained the persons of all the elect in his burial and resurrection; that now upon the party himself is personally, particularly, and apparently reacted the same part again in his baptism; thereby shewing what his communion with Christ before was, in what was done to Christ; that he then was buried with Christ, and rose with him, and upon that ground is now in this outward sign of Baptism, as in a shew or representation, both buried, and also riseth again. Thus far Tho. Goodwin.

You say, If dipping be true baptizing, (which you have already granted, that dipping is lawfull baptizing; yet here you put an if to it, as if you had forgotten what you had said before: but it's no won∣der, for it is usual with you) then some that have been dipt by Popish Priests, have been rightly baptized.

Ans. We deny it: for though you have lost the right way of do∣ing it, as well as the subject, yet we do not say that those Infants that are dipt are rightly baptized; because you fail in the right subject, viz. Believers. Only we cannot but take notice of the just hand of

God in it against you; that having transgressed in taking Infants in stead of Believers, you should change the very thing, and do another thing in stead of baptism, viz, sprinkle; that so you might have the less to say in your own cause. Thus have you fulfilled that word, Isa. 24. 5. Transgressed the Law, changed the Ordinances, broken the ever∣lasting Covenant, applying it to the natural seed, when it belongs to none but the spiritual. How you will avoid that curse, I know not.

You say, It is the custome and practise of all Reformed Churches to baptize by sprinkling, &c.

Ans. What of that, if it contradict Scripture, which is the rule of Saints? You have confessed that dipping is a lawful baptizing; and there is but one lawful baptizing; therefore we must do that which is lawfull, though all people in the world do contrary.

The 4. ground why sprinkling is not baptizing, is from the custom retained from the Primitive times, as it is probable. And give me leave in this to conclude thus much; that I may much safer conclude this, it being so agreeable with the analogie of Scripture, then you can take up the whole practise upon that account. I say, Dipping in all Ages hath been the practise, (whether Believers or Infants.) The History I mentioned before of Joannes Boemus, in the Manners and Customs of all Nations, p. 159. Infants were dipped in the holy Font. In Simpsons History of the Church, in the fourth Councel of Toledo, it was ordered that there should be but one dipping in baptism, p. 527. An 639. And the Church of Rome, from whence you came, retains by tradition Dipping: and Sprinkling is an innovation not of many years standing in this Nation, as is well known; Austin when he came first into England, baptized in Rivers; in particular (as History relates) he baptized some thousands in a River neer York.

Thus have I given you a brief Answer to the material things in your Guard; I leave it to the consideration of the Reader, and shall proceed to give you a brief Reply to your inveterate Word to Collier.