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.

His second Error.

That Infant-Baptism is a childish thing.

And this you say, He will own for a Truth: And this I do say, I

still own for a Truth, and that first in the Subject. 2. In the Administra∣tors.

You say, There is an Objection lies in the way, which he sets down, viz. That the Infants of the children of Israel were as uncapable of the understanding of the mysterie of Circumcision, as Infants are now of Baptism.

My Answers (though reproached by you, I suppose its not for want of ignorance) (I shall relate them again, and leave them to the judgement of the Reader; only, adding one more) will stand, and their truth be manifest, when what you practise will fall in the streets.

Its truth, that one part of Circumcisions Mystery, viz. the Circum∣cision of the heart, was as far from the capacity of Infants, as the mysterie of Baptism is now.

2. As Circumcision was a Type and Figure in the flesh of Christ, who was to come of Abrahams Seed; and there was no such capa∣city required, because it was a Jewish Legal Type, as all the rest of their external Worships and Sacrifices were, leading to, and representing the coming of Christ in the flesh. That these are not words to please children as you pretend, unless you mean the children of God; but words of truth, it will appear, if the honest Reader do but consider, that as all the Ordinances of the Jews were Carnal and Typical, Heb. 9. 10. Col. 2. 16, 17. So those Ordinances were given to the Natu∣ral or Carnal Seed, viz. the Seed of the Flesh, which was Typical like∣wise as their Ordinances were; therefore was not the like capacity re∣quired in them, as in those in the Gospel days, who are directly led into the Mysterie unto Jesus who is come, being the substance of all those Types and shadows.

3. There was a Command for that of Circumcision; none for that of Baptism: you cry out, O egregiously gifted Disputant!

Answ. O egregiously ignorant! Is it not the Command that gives a capacity to the one and to the other? If the Lord Command the one, and not the other, is not that enough to silence man for ever? Zac. 2. 13. I say its the Command of God that gives a capacity to the creature of obeying; and there are none capable of a Duty but those that are called to the Duty; and this you confess your self, p. 86. that in weighty things of God, a Christian must have a certain evident Rule to warrant his practise. Whereas you say, They were therefore circumcised, because taken into the Covenant, and so Church Members; I shall Answer it in its place, and say something to it in my fourth An∣swer.

I shall adde a fourth, and that is, They were capable of those things promised to them in that Covenant, viz. The Land of Canaan; and only the spiritual seed are capable of those things promised in the Gospel-Covenant, viz. The spiritual Land, Jesus Christ, and all the good things of the Gospel.

2. I say its childish, as relating to the Administrators, &c. and you give a clear answer to it of just nothing. I refer the Reader to it.