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A91845
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The second part of the vanity & childishnes of infants baptisme wherein the grounds from severall Scriptures usually brought for to justifie the same, are urged and answered. As also the nature of the divers covenants made with Abraham and his seed, briefly opened and applied. A.R. May 3. 1642.; Treatise of the vanity of childish baptisme. Part 2
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Ritor, Andrew.
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1642
(1642)
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Wing R1541; Thomason E59_5; ESTC R3120
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27,552
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31
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receive the truth upon Gods owne bare word that wee might beleeve and so be saved out of this quick Sand of delusions And indeed how can wee beleeve giving and receiving honour thus one of another and seeke not that honour that cometh of God alone As Christ tells us Io. 12. 44. There be some other scattering Objections which I have met withall such as these Object 1 Cor 11. 2. The Apostle saith I praise you Brethren that you remember me in all things and keepe the ordinances as I delivered them unto you whence some inferre that seeing the Apostle calleth them Ordinances when he delivered them unto the Church that therefore Ordinances depend not upon the Church nor upon Office nor yet upon the Subject And therefore must be esteemed the Ordinances of Christ by whomsoever or on whomsoever they are Administred Answ I answer that by the Ordinances of Christ here spoken of wee are onely to understand the Commandements of Christ 1 Cor. 14. 37. or the minde of Christ as it is revealed in his word which is all one 1 Cor. 2. 16. And then the weaknesse of his objection will presently discover it selfe as wee shall see if but a little wee open this Scripture brought for the countenancing of the same The Apostle in the 23. ver of this Chap. telleth the Church of Corinth that he delivereth unto them that which he also received of the Lord and from the 23. unto the 27. ver he relateth what that was which he had received from the Lord and delivered unto them to observe that is to say that the Lord Jesus Christ the same night in which he was betrayed tooke bread and hen he whad given thanks he brake it And said take eate this is my body which is broken for you This do yee in remembrance of mee And after the same manner also he tooke the Cup when he had supped c. And this is one of the Ordinances or Commandements of Christ which in this second verse the Apostle commendeth and praiseth the Church for the keeping or doing according as he had delivered unto them But now contrary hereunto this Objection imports that had but the Idolatrous Corinthians taken Bread and Wine broken it and devided it amongst themselves nay or which is more grosse had they broken and devided the same amongst their dogs and swine yet this should have bin the Ordinance of Christ if it must remaine his by whomsoever or on whomsoever it is administred But I demand whether the Apostle received any such Ordinance or Commandement as this is from Christ or whether he delivered any such thing to the Church or whether it be any such thing as this which he prayseth them for keeping and observing or whether this be the Commandement or minde of Christ any where revealed in his word There is no man surely dare say so and therefore I do not say that this or any such action of any man should nullifie the ordinance or Commandement of Christ before expressed for his word standeth fast for ever And Heaven and Earth shall passe away but his word shall not faile But I deny this to be the minde the Commandement or Ordinance of Christ at all or that ever such a thing came into his heart And therefore for any to call such actions his Ordinances can be no lesse then Blasphemy against the Son of God Object But they will reply that Bread and Wine received by any in such a manner and Water sprinkled in the name of the Father c. Are his Ordinance and therefore whosoever hath these hath his Ordinance Answ I answer that Sheepe and Oxen offered in sacrifice under the Law were as much the Lords Ordinance and therefore Ieroboams Sacrifice of Sheepe and Oxen by this argument must needs be the Lords Ordinance whereas the Lord calleth them the Sacrifice of Devills 2 Cor. 11. 15. But these men it appeares have learned of King Saul that if in one particular amongst many they do but hit of that which the Lord requireth they like him presently affirme that they have performed the Commandement of the Lord when there is no such matter in the Lords accompt 1 Sam. 15. 3. 13. compared with 11. 19. 23. See this set forth by one familiar Example and so I will passe this objection Suppose a King for some speciall service wherein the honour of Himselfe and safety of His Kingdome is much concerned should by Commission ordaine or command a Sheriffe upon paine of death to raise for his service tenne thousand of the most able men in his County and this Sheriffe finding the said number of Children about six monthes old or rather so many Bartholomew Babies should present them to the King at the very instant time of Battaile as though he had thereby performed the Kings commandement would this be taken therefore for the Kings Ordinance or appointment delivered to the Sheriffe It would be little lesse then death for any man so to affirm yet this is the case in hand but nothing so bad as any man that hath eyes may easily discerne I instance in this example the rather because the Apostle doth in divers places resemble a Christian to a Souldier 2 Tim. 2. 3 4. 4. 7. Phil. 2. 25. And also the Ministers in the Church of England require their Infants in Baptisme manfully to fight under Christs Banner and to continue his faithfull Souldiers c. Object It is said 1 Cor. 10. 1. of the Children of Jsrael that they were all baptized in the Cloud and in the Sea there being young Children as well as men of yeares Answ The text is That they were all baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea But our question is not of baptizing unto Moses but of baptizing unto Christ by being dipped or buried in water into the similitude of his death according to the Institution of Christ thus were not these Israelites baptized for they were in the Cloud and in the Sea dry nor was Baptisme then Instituted thus then is the sence of the place That no enjoying of any outward Priviledge as Baptisme or the Lords Supper without true faith accompanied with obedience will now save us any more then the many outward Priviledges visible signes of Gods presence and the great outward deliverances which the Lord by the hand of Moses afforded and wrought for the Israelites in bringing them through the Sea in defending and guiding them in the wildernesse by the Cloud did exempt and save them from Gods Judgements for notwithstanding their enjoying all these outward favours many of them perished in the wildernesse for their sinnes and disobedience which Saint Paul sets out as examples unto us and therefore here by way of allusion compareth their outward Priviledges to the outward Priviledges and Ordinances of the New Testament even as Saint Peter in like manner figuratively speaketh of the Arke 1 Pet. 3. 20 21. when once the long suffering of God
the Gospell worship As nationall Churches Oblations Sacrafices first fruits Tythes Offerings Holy Ceremonies Holy Dayes Holy feasts Holy Temples Holy Altars Holy Places Holyest places Holy Persons Holy Garments Musicke c. And many other pretty trinkets of that kinde And into Government Office and Ministery likewise variety of sorts as Sextons Clarkes Curates Vicâ—ars Parsons Singing-men Orgenists Canons Petty-Canons Prebends Deans Arch-Deacons Abbotts Lord Abbotts Lord Bishops Lord Arch-Bishops Chancellors Officialls Commissaries Doctors Proctors Apparitors c. with a rable of them even to the Pope himselfe alluding to Moses Aaron and to the Kings and State of Israel Hence also collaterally have they brought the power of the Civill Magistrate into the Church as their Executioners and as subordinate and particular heads under the Pope the universall head who challengeth hence most wickedly to dispose of their Crownes and Kingdomes at his pleasure being willingly ignorant that the State and Church of the Iewes is to be considered in a two-fold respect one as it was a civill State and Common-wealth and Kingdome in respect whereof it was common to other Civill States and Kingdomes in the world the other as it was the Church of God and in relation thereto had Worship Commandements a Kingly office and government which no other state or Kingdome had or ought to have for herein it was altogether typicall this Kingly office and government in relation to the Church concentred only in Christ who now is onely the head King and Law-giver to Israel his Church and admitts of no other head to his Church subordinate or otherwise in any respect Ephes 1. 22. and 4. 15 and 5. 23. Col. 1. 18 2. 10. 19. 1 Pet. 2. 7. For this State being sprituall admits of none but him their spirituall King Head and Law-giver Iam. 4. 12. Hence the Gospel is called the Gospell and word of this Kingdome Mat. 4. 12 and 13. 19 Acts 2. 25. And the true Ministery of the Gospel a Ministery of the spirit 2 Cor. 3. 6. whereby men being converted to God are said to be translated into the Kingdome of his deare sonne Col. 1. 13. Hence God proclaimes from heaven commanding us only to heare and obey his Sonne Matth. 17. 5. he being the Christ of God Luke 9. 20. Hence Christ himselfe declares to us that all power in heaven and earth is given to him and commands his Disciples therefore in his name and by vertue of his power and authoritie alone to goe into all Nations and make Disciples baptizing them c. Matth. 28. 18. 19. And this honour of being Head of his Church gives hee to none at all by deputation or otherwise in any kinde it being the greatest prerogative and dignity for the greatest Monarch upon earth to become a true member and subject of Jesus Christ in his Church under the Gospell for by his being so he is made a childe of God a fellow heire with the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. yea a coheire with Iesus Christ of the everlasting Inheritance Kingdome and Glory Rom. 8. 16. 17. And the same honour have all the Saints for there is no respect of persons with God Col. 3. 25. 1 Pet. 1. 17. Jude 16. Eph. 6. 9. Iam. 2. 1. 2. 3. 9. and this will one day be made manifest to all men when Christ shall say Bring hither those mine enemies that would not that I should raigne over them and slay them before mee Luke 19. 27. At which time hee will be terrible to all yea to the greatest Monarches upon earth which rebell against him Psal 76. 12. and 82. all the Psalme Be wise now therefore yee Kings be instructed yee Iudges of the earth serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling kisse the sonne lest hee be angry and yee perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little then will it be manifest that they and onely they are blessed that put their trust in him Psal 2. 10. 11. 12. 3. This may likewise teach us to see and bewaile the great apostafie both in faith and worship that is brought into the world by this childish baptisme And what a glorious uniforme Babilonish Tower the man of sinne hath reared upon this rotten foundation bringing there by whole Nations at once into subjection to his carnall worship and indeed what is more sutable to his carnall Gospell and Worship then such carnall worshipers and nothing more conduceth to his Exaltation nor better serveth to the maintenance of him and his sutable Clergie in all their riches Pompe and Pride then this nay how possibly could he otherwise have corrupted the whole Earth and brought whole Nations to admire and follow and worship the Beast as he hath done And why then think we of reformation of Religion continuing this foundation Can we wash the Black-more white Or give spirituall life to a whole nation in a lumpe Hath God any such need of worshipers as to accept such lip-service meerely compelled by the laws and commandements of men Isa 29. 13. Mat. 15. 8 9. Is not every man first to be perswaded of the truth in his owne mind before he worship else is he not damned in himselfe Rom. 14. 5. 23. And who art thou that judgest and usurpest Authority over another mans servant 1 Cor. 7. 23. Seeing likewise the Church of England in the 13. article of her doctrine doth maintaine and a verre that works done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his spirit are not pleasant to God for as much as they spring not of faith in Iesus Christ neither doe they make men meete to receive Grace or deserve grace of congruity yea rather for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the nature of sinne And this then being so what spirituall house thinke we can be built unto God upon such a carnall foundation May we expect grapes of thornes or figs of thistles must not the Tree first be made good and then the fruite had not God respect first to Abell and then to his Offering hath not God long since abrogated the state of the Iewes under the law and cast off Israel according to the flesh the naturall seed of Abraham to whom and his seed the promises were made Gal. 4. 29 30. Ioh. 8. 34 35. 36. And do we thinke to bring in the naturall seed of us Gentiles as acceptable on Gods Altar none in the time of the Gospell when the true seed is produced Gal. 3. 19. and when onely spirituall worship and worshipers are accepted Io. 4. 23. must the parents whether Iew or Gentile needs be borne againe of the spirit and onely by faith become the seed of Abraham and heires according to promise Gallathians 3. 7. 29. Romanes 4. 11 12. And shall their children become the same seed by nature can our natures produce a spirituall seed to Abraham which Abrahams owne nature never did nor could doe Rom. 9. 7. 8. Ioh. 3. 6. Neither can any shew any one such promise to any Believer in all the whole world and his seed as was and is to Abraham his seed who is therefore the father of us all to wit of all Believers and onely of Believers sew and Gentile father and child c. Rom. 4. 16. and therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed but the promise is sure only to Believers therefore Believers only are the seed of Abraham to whom the promise and ordinance of the new Testament doe properly appertaine Againe That administration of Baptisme which overthrowes the very nature of the Covenant of Grace and whole Gospell of Christs is Antichristian and abominable But the administration of baptisme upon Infants doth so because it stands upon the ground and interest which they have in the Covenant by naturall generation onely or by the meere profession of faith in the Parents or Sureties without faith in their owne persons whereby faith is made void and the promise which is the Gospel and Object of Faith is also made of none effect and so the preaching thereof becomes uselesse and vaine also Rom 4. 14. therefore the administration of Baptisme upon Infants is Antichristian and abominable These things being so it is most certaine that the baptisme of Infants is the greatest delusion and a thing of as dangerous consequence as ever the Man of Sin brought into the world and therefore the greatest maintainers thereof are justly to be esteemed the greatest deluders wherefore it is high time for us to looke about us to awake out of this drunken slumber and to see how hitherto wee and our fathers have beene blindly lead by our blind Guides into this depth of Ignorance and mist of iniquity and let us seeke out by what meanes and by whom wee are so miserably intosticated as to stumble and grope for our way thus even at noone day Rev. 17. 1. Come hither I will shew unto thee the judgement of the great Whore Rev. 18. 3. 8. 11. For all Nations have drunke of the wine of the wrath of her fornications and the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and the Merchants of the earth have waxed rich through the abundances of her delicacies Therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord who judgeth her And the Merchants of the earth shall weepe and mourne over her for no man buyeth their merchandize any more FINIS