all almost are baptized in their Infancy and thereby admitted Church-Members they are therefore so still esteemed and so the Churches of the Pedobaptists are overloaded with such Persons which defile their Communions Answ But what are there no such Persons to be found among those of the other Perswasion I heartily wish indeed for the Honour of our holy Master and the Credit of his Religion that there were no such either among them or us or those of any other Denomination But this is not to be expected in this imperfect State of the Christian Church Matth. 13.47 which is as a Net cast into the Sea that receives of every kind where good and bad are mix'd together and so we must expect it will be till the End of the World when the Angels shall come forth and sever the Wicked from among the Just But let us not blame that for this which is not to be blamed It is not to be laid to the Charge of Baptism either in Infancy or in Age nor to that in Infancy more than to that at Age. For if once the Baptism of adult Persons were the general Fashion and as commonly received and as much encouraged as Infant-Baptism now is I doubt not but the Church would be as full of Hypocrites then and carnal Gospellers for any thing that Baptism at Age would do more to prevent it than Infant-Baptism now doth For it is no great Matter to make such a Confession of Faith as may serve turn for Baptism and if once it were Mens Interest to do so it would be easily enough gone through As for so many profane Persons which they say are in the Church by reason of Infant-Baptism because so many are look'd upon of the Church that were once baptized and these are for the most part bad I answer However that be yet Infant-Baptism is not to be blamed for it but generally it is the want of Care in Parents and Godfathers about the Instruction and Education of Children that have been baptized and want of Discipline in the Church to expel those that are profane out of it when they once become scan dalous in it It is not Infant-Baptism that is to be blamed for that is a proper Means rather to make Persons good and that betimes That will do its Part well if it be rightly adverted to when they grow up to Understanding by Reflection upon it and full as well as if Baptism were administred at Age. This tends to continue and help forward the Conveyance of Religion down to after-Generations by laying a strict Engagement upon Children to be good betimes and upon Parents to educate them and bring them up well in order to it so that there might be still a young Nursery of tender Plants growing up in the Vineyard of the Lord. And to say otherwise is a Refiection upon the Wisdom of the Jewish Church in admitting the Children of Proselytes together with their Parents yea and of the Wisdom of the holy God himself who loves the Purity and Glory of the Church certainly more than any of us can do and knoweth best what most tends to further it who himself ordered the Token of his Covenant to be applied to Children at eight Days old For according to this Opinion it had been much better to have let it alone till all had come to Age. And the same Censure will lie upon the Jewish Church for admitting of Members then in their Infant-state as much as it can now upon the Churches of the Pedobaptists But let not us go to teach God or instruct him what Means are best to promote the Churches Purity I can make no doubt but Infant-Baptism is as great an Advantage to the Church now as Infant-Circumcision was then in all the spiritual Respects of it or as the Baptism then of Proselytes Infants was But if there be other Ordinances and Duties neglected which God hath appointed which should be for the procuring of a pure Church or for the cleansing of it when it is impure it is the Neglect of those Ordinances and Duties that is the true Reason of that Impurity in the Church and not the keeping up of that Ordinance which rather helps towards its Purification as well as admits into the Communion of it They of the other way when profane Persons are at any time found among them don't blame their Baptism at Age for it as if that were the Reason of their Badness which would rather tend to make them good and if these Persons continue still in their Church no doubt it is the Churches Neglect and not the Fault of their Baptism And so if profane Persons be sound in the Church wherein the Members are admitted by Infant-Baptism let not Infant-Baptism be blamed for that but the Neglect of those other Ordinances and Duties that should tend to promote the Churches Purity Object 5. Why may not the Lord's Supper be administred to Infants as well as Baptism that being as well a Seal of the Covenant as Baptism is and was likewise administred to them in some of the first Ages of the Church Answ If the Lord's Supper should be administred to Infants it could be of no other Use to them than Baptism is viz. to be a visible Badg or Mark of their being owned and received by us as the Children of God and Members of the Church of Christ and a Seal of the Blessings of the Covenant and of their Communion therein These things are sufficiently confirmed to them by the Ordinance of Baptism and the Ordinance of the Lord's-Supper could be of no further use to them than what this comes to And therefore the Administration of the Lord's-Supper to them would be supervacaneous and needless because it can do no more for them than Baptism doth Nor is the Ordinance of the Lord's-Supper so fit and proper to be administred to them for the Ends aforesaid as Baptism is Because Baptism is a Sacrament or Ordinance particularly designed or appointed for this purpose to be for their visible Initiation or Insition into the Church of Christ and is therefore to be administred to all the Members of it as a Token or Sign of their being the Children of God and Members of Christ and so to seal to them the Blessings of the Covenant and to engage them on their part to the performance of the Conditions And Infants being capable of all these Ends and Uses of it which are the chief Ends of Baptism it is therefore proper and fit to be administred to them Whereas the Lord's-Supper is a Sacrament of Growth or Perfection for the strengthening and refreshing of our Souls and for our Growth and Progress in Grace which is promoted and furthered by an Act of Reflection on our parts upon the Death of Christ and the Benefits that he hath purchased thereby and is to be a thankful Memorial or for solemn Thanksgiving to Christ for this great Grace and Love of his that he hath
their Infant-state but it may come to affect them as soon as any thing else can that is of such a Nature that is as soon as their Reason comes to be of use to them Whereas if this had not been done for them betimes there would have wanted this Argument to deal with them And it may be it would have been very long before they themselves might have been brought to consent to enter into such an Obligation as we read it often was among may that yet were brought to the Profession of the Christian Faith in the Primitive Times Dr. Walker 's Preface to his Plea for Infant-Baptism Some staying off for this some for that carnal Reason or Fear for a long time to the great Scandal of their Profession Some keeping off for fear of sinning after Baptism and so forfeiting the Grace of it as they thought thereby Some from the Love of the World and the Pleasures thereof being loth to part with their Sins and their vain Pleasures which they were sensible this obliged them to notwithstanding they owned themselves Christians Some again deferring it out of want of Leisure Some pleading the Inconvenience of the Time and others because they could not have it done in the Place they desired or by the Person they most affected Some taking Exception at the mix'd Company they were to be baptized with And some delaying it for fear of Perfecution from the Heathen And some for fear lest they should be accounted Tritheites Some on pretence that their Relations were not present And some hanging back because of the little Charge they did use to be at at that time These things gave Occasion to such vehement and sharp Expostulations of the Fathers of that Age to reprove their Slackness as are to be found in their Writings And how many do you think upon one or other of these Pretences there would be that would put it off in like manner still if they were not baptized in Infancy and it may be some would hardly ever bring themselves into so near a Covenant-Engagement to God at all Whereas this being done for them so early in their Infant-state it may be a powerful and prevailing Motive to engage them betimes to a sincere and upright walking with God which otherwise they might not probably have been brought so soon to If it be objected that this would be more apt to prevail with them if it had been their own Act when they came to Age. It is plain by Experience that those that are sincere or have any Sense of Honour or Gratitude among those that have been baptized in their Infancy do hold themselves as much obliged by it and do stand to the Obligation that they were then brought under and as faithfully discharge it as any of those that are baptized at Age and do look upon it a great Blessing that they were brought under so early a Pre-engagement And those that are not sincere that are baptized at Age do as little perform or discharge the Obligation that they brought upon themselves by an Act of their own as any of those that were baptized in Infancy Object 2. That Infants are not capable of performing those Acts or having those Conditions that are pre-required in Scripture in Persons that are to be baptized For asmuch as they cannot learn or be taught or confess their Sins or believe or repent or make any visible Profession of their doing so And yet these things are required in Scripture of Persons that are to be baptized and were always performed by Persons before the Apostles did baptize any According to these and the like Texts Mark 16.15 16. Go into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Matth. 3.6 They were baptized of him in Jordan confessing their Sins Acts 2.38 Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ And ver 41. They that gladly received his Word were baptized Acts 8.12 When they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God they were baptized Ver. 13. Then Simon himself believed and was baptized And ver 36. The Eunuch said See here is Water what doth hinder me to be baptized And Philip said If thou believest with all thine Heart thou mayst Acts 18.8 And many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized From these and such like Texts it is argued that here is a Prohibition laid and a Bar put against Infants Baptism because they have no Reason or Vnderstanding about what they ought to be or do and can neither hear learn repent or believe or make Profession of either in their Infant-state and therefore are not capable of Baptism before the Administration of which these things are required and used to be done Answ 1. That it is by vertue of that Covenant-relation to God as his People and Children which God is pleased to admit Infants to though themselves do not believe they being the Seed or Pupils of profess'd Believers with whom this Covenant is made and with their Seed and Family that Baptism is to be administred to them The Ground then which I build the Baptism of Infants upon is God's Election or choosing of them together with their believing Parents or those that shall undertake for them to be his own peculiar Covenant-People as likewise their Parents or Susceptors are For this was always God's Method and the way of his Grace to own and receive the Children of his Covenant-People into the same Covenant with their Fathers and so to treat with them and to seal the Covenant and Promise to them in the same manner and by the same Rite as he did to their Parents So that it is not the Childrens own Faith or Profession that qualifies them for Baptism but it is God's Election or Choice of them for his People though they have not actual Faith or Repentance of their own upon their descending of such Parents or being taken into such Families or undertaken for by such Persons as stand in a Covenant-relation to God And out of Respect to them and in Prospect of that Religious Education that they shall afterwards receive from them God is pleased to own them for his and to confirm his Promise and Covenant to them So that their Parents or Susceptors Faith is as it were vicariously imputed to them for a while till they come to Years and is reckoned accordingly for their Good though they do not yet actually believe themselves because hereafter they are to do it through their Parents Instruction As the Children of the Levites of a Month old are said to keep the Charge of the Sanctuary Numb 3.28 because they are so designed and are to be brought up to it and are in a near Capacity for it And Levi is said after a Sense to have paid Tithes in Abraham being in the Loins of Abraham when he paid it to Melchizedek Heb. 7.9 And why should these things
manifested to us in his dying for us and thereby purchasing and obtaining so great Benefits for us This being the chief End of that Institution as appears by our Saviour's own words Do this in Remembrance of me Now all this requires great Knowledg and Consideration and pious Reflections upon what we are about which Infants are uncapable of Nor is there the like Scripture-ground for the Administration of the Lord's-Supper to Infants as we have seen there is for Baptism Nor is there the same Parallel of it or Pattern for it from the Practice of the Jewish Church as there is for Infant-Baptism in their Administration of Circumcision to Infants for a Token of the Covenant betwixt God and them and likewise in their baptizing the Infants of Proselytes Whereas the Children of the Jews were not admitted to the Passover which is that other Jewish Ordinance which may seem to answer most to the Christian Eucharist till they were old enough to enquire about the meaning of the Service and were capable of understanding the Nature of it as it was done in Remembrance of their Deliverance out of Egypt Exod. 12.26 27. And so agreeably to this therefore neither should the Children of Christians communicate at the Lord's-Supper till they are capable likewise of understanding the Nature and Ends of it as it is a Sacrificial Feast in Remembrance of Christ's Death and Passion and of our Deliverance from Sin and Death which we have thereby And this indeed may well require more Years over their Heads before Children will be capable to come to the Understanding thereof than what might capacitate the Jewish Children for the understanding the nature of the Passover because that Mystery is greater but this is meerly accidental But as soon as our Children are capable of understanding the Design of this holy Communion and of performing those Acts that are required with respect unto it we hold it their Duty likewise to participate in it Case of Infant-Baptism the Conclusion And then as for the Practice in Infat-Communion in the Christian Church we have not near the like Evidence of the Practice of it from Antiquity either as to the Antientness or the Generality of the Practice of it as we have for that of Infant-Baptism There being none of the most antient Writers Ireneus Origen Tertullian that speak any thing of it as they do of Infant-Baptism and Origen particularly as a Custom or Tradition derived from the Apostles nor near so many in the following Ages mentioning it as there do Infant-Baptism And many of those that owned the Necessity of Infant-Baptism as the Pelagians yet never owned the Necessity of Infant-Communion And as for the Practice of Infant-Communion therefore the Western Churches have long ago relinquish'd it as apprehending it to be a Mistake grounded neither upon any Text of Scripture nor Apostolical Tradition and being in the Nature and Design of it improper for Infants but yet have still retained Infant-Baptism as being in all respects well grounded and most aptly to be accomodated to them It was an easy and charitable Slip which the Ancient Church was suffered to fall into amongst other things to give the Lord's-Supper to Infants as they used to do to grown Persons presently after their Baptism that they might partake of all the visible Seals of Divine Grace and Favour Rather than deprive them of any they would give them all This tho a Mistake yet was a Matter of no dangerous Consequence in Religion as the Anabaptists pretend that of Infant-Baptism to be in the highest degree as introducing a meer Mock-Christianity and a Mock-Church and Ministry into the World Now it is not imaginable that God should suffer such a Church-destroying Corruption so early to prevail in that Church that was so famous for Miracles Martyrdom and true unaffected Holiness as the Antient Church was But for such a harmless and innocent Mistake as that of Infant-Communion it is no strange thing that their Charity should a little be let alone to over-biass their Judgment And I should much rather choose to join with them in their Charity than with these Duri Patres Infantum that are so unkind to deny that to Infants which God hath been pleased in his great Grace and Kindness so freely to vouchsafe unto them and to instate them in The CONCLUSION THus have I endeavoured with all convenient Brevity and I hope with Perspicuity to manage the Argument I have taken in hand And I do not know that I have balk'd any considerable Argument or Objection that seem'd to me to be of any force against it And I have desired to follow the Apostle's Direction to speak the Truth in Love without any bitter Reflection upon the contrary-minded whom notwithstanding their Dissent I shall respect as Brethren But as for the way that they have taken up considering what I have said in Defence of our own I can no otherwise esteem of it than as a very culpable Schism If the Denial of Infant-Baptism had been a simple Error I should have less concerned my self about it But when there is such a Train of dismal Consequences following at the heels of it as the unchurching all Churches that are not of the like Communion and the denial of all other Ministry and Ordinances besides their own which must needs naturally be accompanied with many fierce Animosities and unbrotherly Contentions to the destroying of Christian Love and Peace it seems to me to look with a frightful Aspect Therefore they must excuse me if out of a Love to Truth and Peace I have endeavoured to rectify the Mistaken Judgment of those that have gone astray and to settle those that have need of Establishment in the way of Catholick Verity Love and Union But that the Doctrine which I have defended may be more effectually vindicated from that Contempt and Scorn that is poured upon it by those of the contrary Perswasion it is our part to make that good and holy Improvement of the Baptism that we have received as is sutable to the Nature of it And you that are Parents and Godfathers and Godmothers pray consider your Charge and Trust that is committed to you and remember as it is excellently exprest in the Exhortation after Publick Baptism That it is your Parts and Duties to see that the Children be taught so soon as they shall be able to learn what a solemn Vow Promise and Profession they have made by you And that they may know these things the better to call upon them to hear Sermons and provide that they may learn the Creed the Lord's-Prayâ—r and the Ten Commandments and all other things which a Christian ought to know and believe to his Soul's Health and that they may be vertuously brought up to lead a Godly and a Christian Life It is the Carelesness of Parents and Godfathers about the Education of Children and their Neglect to inforce upon them their Baptismal Obligations that hath been one great