forth in the love of it Open blind eyes soften hard hearts that they may discern the Truth when it shall be proposed to them and have kindly impressions made by the power of it upon them Remove from them all prejudicate opinion and self-conceit all passionateness and worldly interest and every thing that may hinder the operation of thy grace in the declaration of thy truth upon them And make this Treatise effectually instrumental to the confirmation of such as stand in the truth to the satisfaction of thâ—se that doubt of it and to the restauration of such as are fallen from it that so it may turn to the glory of thy Name and the benefit of thy Church in the healing of breaches and saving of souls Grant this O God for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son and our Saviour Amen The Litany That it may please thee to give to all thy people increase of grace to her â—eekly thy word and to receive it with pure affection and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit We beseech thee to hear us Good Lord. That it may please thee to bring into the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceived We beseech thee to hear us Good Lord. That it may please thee to strengthen such as do stand and to comfort and help the weak hearted and to raise up them that fall and finally to beat down Satan under our feet We beseech thee to hear us Good Lord. Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Our Father which art in heaven c. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen ERRATA PAg. 3. l. 15. read Infants to make p. 48. l. 24. especially being ly p. 51. l. 12. for him p. 62. l. 25. Christ's is p. 75. Sect. 4. marg l. 4. adde Sedul p. 83. Sect. 5. marg l. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 84. marg l. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 93. l. 29. he p. 103. l. 5. very grace p. 108. marg l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 122. marg l. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 136. marg l. 1. vitium deprâ— p. 144. l. 20. neglect it p. 146. marg l. 2. pertinere l. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 146. l. 7. was in our p. 156. l. 6. as by a means p. 157. marg l. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 158. marg l. 4. nativiton l. 22. per ejus virt l. 26. virginem p 180. l. 9. baptizing few or no. p. 185. l. 25. done by either p. 199. mar l 8. Matth. 28. 19. p. 207. l. 16. old who p. 208. l. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 marg l. 8. relinquere p. 213. l. 9. that will have p. 237. l. 23. Frisingensis p. 271. marg l. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 273. l. 14. nor are p. 310. l. 29. initiation p. 327. l. 8. Jaylor's 399. l. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 409. l. 22. r. Hâ—terodox p. 415. m. l. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 419. marg l. 10. tulisse p. 421. marg l. 3. adoleri p. 423. marg l. 14. Ac ne A MODEST PLEA FOR Infants BAPTISM CHAP. 1. The Text. The Occasion of the Words The Doctrine gaâ—hered from it and proved LUKE 18. 16. Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not § 1. THese words were spoken by our Saviour to his Disciples The occasion of them was this Certain Persons came and brought their Children also to Jesus desiring that he would touch them v. 15. that is as St. Matthew relates it put his hâ—nds upon them and pray Matth. 19. 13. This action of theirs was so far disliked of by our Saviours Disciples that they rebuked them and would have chid them away But this carriage of his Disciples towards them our Saviour did very much dislike of Indeed St. Mark tells us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was much displeased thereat Mark 10. 14. And in that displeasure when he had called the Infants unto him he spake unto his Disciples these words Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not § 2. So that the words are an Oblique Rebuke given by our Saviour unto his Disciples for going about to hinder the coming of little Children unto him and a direct command to permit their coming unto him for the future and that Command backt with a direct Prohibition forbidding their ever after hindring of them to come And they brought unto him also Infants that he should touch them but when his Disciples saw it they rebuked them But Jesus called them unto him and said Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of God From whence I gather this Point That little children are to be suffered to come unto Christ and ought not to be forbidden coming unto him § 3. This Doctrine is so near the very words of our Saviour and those recorded by three Evangelists and that with so great concord that in the Original there is no difference among them save in the order of the words and in the variation of a Tense St. Matthew using 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Aorist whereas St. Mark and St. Luke use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Present Tense which difference in shew is really none indeed the Aorist being ordinarily used for the Present Tense that it will not be much needful to prove it by any other medium than what the Text it self will afford and that is this What our Saviour commanded should be permitted and forbad should be hindred that ought to be suffered and ought not to be forbidden But our Saviour commanded that little children should be permitted to come and forbad they should be hindred from coming to him Therefore little Children are to be suffered and ought not to be forbidden to come unto Christ § 4. Yet for the opening of the Point three things I shall endeavour to clear 1 What we are to understand by the Children that are to be suffered to come unto Christ 2 Of what children it was that our Saviour gave command that they should be suffered to come to him 3 What coming of those children unto Christ it is that is to be suffered and ought not to be hindred CHAP. II. Of the Children that are to be suffered to come to Christ Infants § 1. FOr the First the little Children that are to be suffered to come to Christ it is evident that they are Infants Insantem autem accipimus septem annis minorem haec enim aetas quicquid videt ignorat Wesenbecii Parat in Pandectas Juris civilis Digest lib. 48. Tit. 8. The Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
fervently competitioning Supplicants should be so powerful with God when they have one among them and concurring in the petition with them whom God always hears even the Son of his own love the Lord Jesus Christ the head of his Church which he is always with and always will be even unto the end of the world and even where two or three of them are gathered together in his name And indeed his presence with them himself assignes for the reason of their prevalency with his Father Matth 18. 20. Again I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is heaven For where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them The prevalency of the Churches prayers is from the concurrency of Christs petitioning with them when they pray § 19. Now hereupon it follows that it cannot but be a mighty benefit to Christians each to have the prayers of other and all the prayers of the Church for them all And hence are our desires both of one anothers private prayers and also of the Churches publick prayers especially upon any extraordinary emergency And if we who can pray for our selves do think the prayers of others beneficial to us as we do think them or else we should not desire them how can we then but think they are beneficial to our children who have the more need of the prayers of others as they are the less able to pray for themselves and for whom the prayers of others are by so much the more likely to be effectual as they do the less to hinder their effectualness § 20. Prayer then being so powerful a deriver of all manner of blessings on the parties prayed for and Baptism being the means of bringing our children within the Communion of so many and such prayers we cannot but think Baptism highly beneficial to them even to that measure and degree as upon that one account alone if there were no other besides to be induced to baptize our children CHAP. XI Baptism beneficial unto children in regard of their being made thereby the children of God § 1. SIxthly by Baptism Infants are made children of God This sense our Church hath of it Hence immediately after the Baptizing of the Infant it renders thanks to the heavenly Father for that it hath pleased him to receive that Infant for his own child by Adâ—ption And in her Catechism teaches the little Catechumen to say that in his Baptism he was made the child of God § 2. The Apostle St. Paul speaking to the Galatians whom he had declared to be the Sons of God Gal. 3. 26. saith unto them At many of you as have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whosoever ye are whether men or children for as he names neither so he excepts not either that have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ ver 27. And he saith it as a Reason of what was said before even of their Sonship Ye are all the children of God by Faith in Jesus Christ For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ His reasoning seems to lie thus They that put on Christ that is receive Christ they are the children of God Those that are baptized into Christ they put on Christ and do receive him Therefore they that are baptized into Christ are the children of God § 3. It is Faith indeed that qualifies for Baptism The Adult is qualified by his own Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Basil de Spir. Sancto c. 12. Tom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Resp ad Orthod q. 56. Infants by the Faith of those that bring them to and undertake for them at their baptizing They are vouchsafed the good things that come by baptism through the faith of those that bring them to be baptized saith the Author of the Answers to the Orthodox in Just Martyr speaking of Infants And upon the account of their faith were the Infants anciently admitted to baptism and baptized as Believers Non quod vel ipsi quando baptizantur fide careant sine qua impossibile est vel ipsos placere Deo sed salvantur ipsi per fidem non tamen suam sed alienam Dignum nempe est ad dei spectat dignitatem ut quibus fidem aetas denegat propiam gratia prodesse conced at alienam c. D. Bern. Ep. 77. ad Hug. de S. Victore Absit ut ego dicam non credentes infantes Jam superius disputavi Credit in altero quia peccavit in altero dicitur credit valet inter fideles baptizatos computatur c. D. Aug. Serm. 14. de Verb. Apost But as many as whether upon the account of their own or others faith are baptized into Christ whether they be men or children they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sons of God § 4. And this sense the Ancients had of this thing namely the efficacy of baptism for the regenerating of the baptized and putting them into the state of children of God Hence Dionys Areop calls the Font wherein persons De Eccl. Hier. were baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Exhort ad Bapt. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother of Adoption and calls our baptism Orate patrem baptismate nostrum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a birth of or from God as †D. Ambros in 1 Cor. 6. 11. Illic omnibus peccatis depositis abluitur credens justificatur domini nomine per spiritum Dei nostri Deo filius adoptatur Id. Ad cujus sc divini operis potentiam referendum est quod dum homo exterior abluitur mutatur interior fit nova creatura de veteri vasa irae in vasa misericordiae transferuntur in corpus Christi convertitur caro peccati De impiis justi de captivis liberi de filiis hominum fiunt filii Dei Ep. 84. l. 10. St. Basil also calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baptism of Adoption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the grace of Adoption Sedulius exhorts to pray unto God under the notion of our Father by Baptism There saith St. Ambrose speaking of baptism the believer is washed all his sins being laid aside he is justified in the name of the Lord and by the Spirit of our God he is adopted to be a Son unto God And again to the power of that divine work saith he it is to be referred that whilst the outward man is washed the inward man is changed and made a new creature of an old vessels of wrath are translated into vessels of mercy and a body of sin converted into into the body of Christ Of wicked they are made righteous of captives they are made free and of sons of men they are made the Sons of God § 5. St. Cyprian saith it was foretold of God by his Prophet Isaiah c. 43.
time and in all probability some considerable time before that Whence Dr. Hammond not onely saith of him himself * Dr. Hammond de Confirmatione c. 2. §. 10. p. 60. that he is not to be contemned in the opinion of other Doctors though Dalleus relish him not as being near upon equal with Damasus but also tells us * Dr. Hammond Quaere of Infanâ—s Bapt. §. 43. what Mr. Casaubons opinion was of him namely that he was Scriptor antiquissimus elegantissimus a very ancient and most elegant writer And it doth not follow that his writing was false and forged because questioned For then some books of Holy Scripture will come under suspicion whose Authentickness was for some time doubted of if yet they pass for current with all For what Hyginus who died a Martyr about the year 158 saith Dr. Hammond tells us it is affirmed by Platina out of the ancient Dr. Ham. of Inf. Bap. §. 42. 43. Records And though the words alledged from the Author of the Constitutions were not written in the Apostles times by Clemens Romanus yet he saith there is sufficient reason to assure us that they were very ancient and the Testimony of a Person of his Learning Judgment and Integrity is very considerable with unbias'd persons Then for the Responses ascribed to Justin Martyr if they should not be his yet being acknowledgedly a very ancient piece they are nevertheless a considerable testimony for the Antiquity of Infants Baptism And a suspicion of their Interpolation cannot take away their Authority unless it could be proved that they were interpolated in this part or a suspicion of it had been started before this controversie And it is observed that even in Justin Martyrs Dialogue with Trypho the Jew there is a passage that hath a favourable aspect on Infants Baptism Where saith he * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Dial. cum Tryph. pag. 261. D. C. And we who through him are come unto God have not received that circumcision which is according to flesh but that spiritual which Enoch and the like kept But we received it by Baptism through the mercy of God in as much as we had been born sinners and it is free for all in like manner to receive it Here the reason alledged for Mens obtaining from God that spiritual Circumcision by Baptism namely because we had been born in sin is as truly alledgable on the behalf of Infants And how can it be thought but that he that understood there was the same reason for childrens baptizing as for mens should be of opinion that children were to be baptized as well as men And when he extends the liberty of receiving it unto all why should he be thought not to extend it unto Infants Especially when as well the external motive of Gods compassion the misery of mans being born in sin as the internal Mover of God unto compassion even his mercy to men so born is extended unto Infants as well as Men. And when he saith * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Martyr Dialog cum Tryph. pag. 260. B. C. Moreover the precept of Circumcision commanding to circumcise Infants on the eighth day was a type of the true circumcision wherewith we were circumcised from our errour and naughtiness by him that rose from the dead hath he not a kind aspect on Infants baptism Fairly intimating by expressing the time of Circumcision the eighth day that our Circumcision which is baptism should agree with that which typified it so far at least as to be susceptible by Infants even of eight days old younger than which Fidus the Presbyter because of that law of circumcision thought they ought not to be baptized though Cyprian shew'd him that himself and a whole Council Cypian lib. 3. Ep. 8. were of another mind even that they might be baptized sooner And that he had so is the more probable in regard Greg. Naziarzene †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. Naz. Orat. 40. p. 658. A. B. gives the Circumcision of the Jewish Infants on the eighth day for a reason why the Infants of Christians should in case of danger be baptized even so early as whilest they are insensible of either the want or having of grace by the want or having of baptism To proceed to Origen if he were as perhaps he was not so very Heretical and desperately Erroneous in his own judgment as is pretended yet this doth not follow that he must be also insincere and mendacious in his report of the Churches Practice Is it impossible for a man that is erroneous in something to speak true in any thing If so the truth it self will have few witnesses to it but be well neer left to stand and fall by its self Had Origen been of no Authority in the Church sure St. Hierome would never have appealed to his judgment in the case of so high a concern as whether the Hebrew Books of the Bible had been falsified by the Jews or no saying * Quod si aliquis dixeris Hebraos libros postea à Judaeis esse falsatos audiat Originem quid in octavo volumine explanationum Esaiae huic respondeat quaestiunculae quod nunquam Dominus Apostoli qui caetcra crimina arguunt in Scribis Pharisais de hoc crimine quod erat maximum reticuissent D. Hier. l. 3. Comment in Esaiam cap. 6. Tom. 4. Col. 55. if any man doubt of that Audiat Originem let him hear Origen c. But we have not Origens Original of his Commentaries on the Ep. to the Romans but Ruffinus's Translation No matter so the Translation be right But Ruffinus added and alter'd at his pleasure so that if Erasmus say true you know not when you read Origen aâ—d when Ruffinus Then it cannot be known but that what we read in him touching Infants Baptism is his own And being taken so to be by all not concerned to oppose it it ought to pass for his unless the contrary could be proved And suppose it were not his but Ruffinus's yet still is that a good evidence for the Age he lived in and that was pretty early up towards the Apostles Times being confessedly in the Fourth Century But Ruffinus was a very bad man Perhaps not all out so bad as his bitter adversary St. Hierom makes him And may not a bad men speak truth Had he spoken untruth in this case why was not his falshood detected in the times he lived in why did not Hierom amongst all the rest of his accusations charge this upon him that he made Origen say l. 5. in Rom. c. 6. that the Church received from the Apostles a tradition to give baptism even to Infants when as Origen said no such thing 'T is plain he had nothing to say because he said nothing who had will enough to incline him and passion enough to provoke him to say all he could Yea who sometimes quarrels with Ruffinus * Cum haec ita