broken off with them though ignorant of their Fathers Rebellion therefore seeing the condition both of Fathers and children was all one he said unto them Repent and be Baptised every one of you in the Name of the Lord Jesus for the remission of sins for the Promise is to you and your children and now can any one believe but that the children upon the Fathers Repentance are as capable to believe in the belief of their Parents and so grafted in the true Olive Tree Christ with their Parents again as they were of unbelief and rebellion in their Parents unbelief and rebellion So then upon the Parents Repentance who can hinder the children of those Repenting Parents from the Ordinance of Baptism of Water with their Parents seeing they were cut off with them and the Ordinance a sign of the pardon of sins From whence may justly be concluded that if the Infants of Rebellions Jews were cut or broken off in their infancy with their Parents though ignorant of their Parents Rebellion Even so both Jews and Gentiles comming to the obedience of the Faith of Christ though their Children in infancy be ignorant of their Fathers obedience must of necessity be excepted with them And that we may the better understand the scope of the Apostles Doctrine the Doctrine being Repent and be Baptised every one of you for the remission of sins the reason is For the promise is to you and your children Take notice and observe whether the Precept of Scripture is not to reach so far as the Reasons thereunto doth extend as may be seen Deut. 7. 1. 4. Ezra 9. 2 11 12. 2 Chron. 21. 6. Now the Doctrine is Repent and be Baptised and the Reason is For the Promise is to you and your children so that mention being made of children in the Reason therefore the Precept of Baptising here spoken implieth the children also Otherwise how can you prove at the first celebration of the Lords Supper that women should be partakers thereof seeing neither there nor any other where in Christs Testament any mention of any Woman by name were present or partook thereof as concerning children you require us to shew a child by name that was Baptised yet seeing the Reasons that are annexed to the Precept do necessarily imply women as well as men and there is no Prohibition to the contrary and cannot be denyed them without great sin Matth. 26. 20 26 27 28. Luke 22. 14 19 20. 1 Cor. 11. 23 24 25. Now then consider how in this Ordinance you will grant that women may partake thereof though no name of any Woman that did is expressed but that children may partake of the Ordinance of Baptism because there is no mention of any child by name that did though there is as good reason and true gathered consequence from the Scripture for the one as the other in this all men may see you are partial and wilfully blind Again the people of your Judgment seem more unreasonable to me in this point of denying Infants of Believers Baptism than the Sadduces which denyed the resurrection of the body whom Christ put to silence by consequence from Scripture without the litteral words of Scripture to say the body shall rise again as may be seen in Exod. 3. 6. compared with Matth. 22. 31 32. and as the Text saith they were put to silence ver 34. and the multitude were astonished at his Doctrine ver 33. Likewise there is the Doctrine of Baptism Heb. 6. 2. and any of understanding in Scripture know that Doctrine is the sense and intendment of Scripture for the natural man reads only the Letter as the Eunuch did when he read in Isa 53. 7. as it is written in Acts 8. 32. the place of Scripture which he read was this He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and like a lamb dumb before his shearers so opened he not his mouth see ver 33. and ver 34. the Eunuch answered Philip and said I pray thee of whom speaketh the Prophet this of himself or some other man ver 35. Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture and Preached unto him Jesus but had the Eunuch bin an Anabaptist in Judgment he would not have believed Philip to Preach Jesus from that 53 of Isa when the word Jesus was not expressed by name and though the Apostles did Baptise Believers and their housholds 1 Cor. 1. 16. Acts 16. yet you will not believe that he Baptised Children though the word Houshold are the children as shall in this Treatise most plainly appear as in Isa 53. Jesus was intended in the Text by the word Lamb so that I hope not only you unless you shut your eyes but others shall see by the Holy Ghosts own exposition according to his own counsel comparing spiritual things with spiritual 1 Cor. 2. 13. knowing this first that no Prophesy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation 2 Pet. 1. 20. but a publick interpretation is for one Scripture to unfold another as when Ezra and the people returned out of Captivity Neh. 8. 8. he read in the Book of the Law distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading so that I hope that if the Scripture do expound the houshold to be children seeing the Apostle did Baptise housholds you will believe he did Baptise Children and so repent of your error in denying the same and leave off deluding the people through your former ignorance Next then to observe that little children which do partake of Christs spiritual blessing have not only right to Baptism of Water but were also Baptised by the hands of the Apostles Though some will think this Argument cannot be proved because the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. observe the Lords Covenant of old made with the faithful and their seed in infancy and the words of the Covenant was To be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Gen. 17. 7. So that Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness and they that are of Faith the same are the children of Abraham Gal. 3. 6 7. and the children of the Promise are counted for the seâ—d but Isaac was a child of Promise in Infancy Gal. 4. 28. even an heir of life 1 John 2. 25. and had the seal of Faith administred upon him and I hope none will be so bold to say it was a lying sign or seal to seal to him that he had not but of this we shall have occasion to handle anon but now to prove that a mans children are his houshold We read Gen. 45. 11. and 46. 5 6 7 8. that Joseph is said to nourish his Father and his Brethren and all his Fathers houshold according to their Families which is expounded I will nourish you and your little
A Necessary TREATISE for this Age OR A Plain discovery of that great Error of denying Baptisme with Water to the Children of Believers In justification of the Arguments of John Turner for Infants Baptisme against Robert Admond Together with several other useful particulars on this Subject the Contents whereof follow in the next Page Briefly and plainly handled and discust by THOMAS WALL Luke 18. 16. Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God Acts 2. 39. For the Promise is to you and your children c. Acts 16. 15. And when she was Baptised and her houshold c. London Printed for Tho. Wall and Barn Frencham and are to besold by Nath. Croucâ— at the Cross-Keyes in Bishopsgate-street near Leaden-Hall 1669. The Contents 1. A Plain discovery of that great Error of denying Infants Baptism with water to the Children of Believers 2. John Turners Argument for Infants Baptism justified 3. A desoription of the state of Infants as they come from Adams loyns 4. What Christs spiritual blessing was on the Infants brought to him the want they had of it and benefit received by it and by it they had right to Baptisme of water 5. That a mans children are his houshold 6. That Believers children were Baptised by the hands of the Apostles 7. The word Baptisme opened by context of Scripture 8. Who are the true Administrators of Baptisme 9. Where it ought to be done 10. On what part of the body it ought to be administred 11. That the Anabaptists according to their own judgment are not yet Baptised 12. That the Baptism received in Apostate Churches ought not to be reiterated The Preface to the Reader concerning the occasion of this Treatise I. T. that worthy Souldier of Jesus Christ about 12 years ago delivered his Judgment in a Sermon from 1 Cor. 10. 1 2. verses Proving from thence the lawfulness of Infants Baptism One that heard him took the sum of the matter delivered in writing and gave it to R. A. who made some Answer to J. T 's Doctrine and sent it to him In answer to which writing of R A. J. T. framed this Argument in the beginning of this Treatise and to the Argument R. A. made some farther Answer R. A. shewing me the writings of both sides I having well considered the matter and discerned much wait in J. T 's Argument and R. A's grant to the same And J. T. being aged and weakned much in body by reason of his long nigh 14 years imprisonment for the Cause of Christ and after that a long time of sickness was not forward to trouble himself with Controversies in his latter dayes but to imploy himself in more comfortable Meditations I thought my self bound in duty having received a Talent of the Lord and ought not to hide it in the earth Matth. 25. â—8 27. the Harvest being so great and they that are faithful Labourers so few and the truth of God so much in these our dayes decayed I could not forbear but set the trump of Gods Word to my mouth to vindicate this blessed Truth of the Lord of the Right that the Infants of Believers have to Baptism of water Isa 59. 19. though the Enemy shall come in like a Flood for the same but the Lord is the strength of my Life of whom shall I be afraid Psal 27. 1. Considering if it were possible to reclaim my friend R. A. from his error I sent to him the tenor of this ensuing Treatise which remained with him about a year and half expecting his approving or disproving of the same A friend of mine understanding what I had wrote â—esired to see it much desiring me to put it to publick view for some Reasons First Because the truth of Infants Baptism so plainly manifested is so needful to come abroad Secondly Because so many poysoned Books in denying Infants Baptism are spread abroad Thirdly The many thousands of people that are led away in the error of the same the Captain of this and other Errors was one Of this Mr. Smith is more spoken in this treatis worth noting Smith who Baptised himself being once a seeming Member of a true Church in Amsterdam where Mr. Henry Ainsworth at that time was Teacher but for Error Mr. Smith was cast out which was as the Star called Wormwood which fell upon the third part of the Rivers and upon the Fountains of waters and many men dyed of the Waters because they were made bitter Rev. 8. 10 11. but the waters of Gods truths being pure water of Life clear as Crystal Rev. 22. 1. which make glad the City of God Psal 46. 4. but false Shepheards and evil Teachers do foul and muddy the waters of Gods Truth with their feet Ezek. 34. 18 19. So that bitterness springeth up to trouble the faithful Heb. 12. 15. With their Tongues they have used deceit Rom. 3. 13. And lye in wait to deceive Ephes 4. 14. What need then hath every Soul to search the Scriptures daily Acts 17. 11. Believing no mans Opinion of Scripture unless it be so understood that the Old and New Testament may agree in one harmony together and then he or she shall go on in safety which is the desire of him who is thine in all Christian duty Tho. Wall John Turners Argument for Infants Baptism Verbatim sent to Robert Admands THey that Christ blessed with a spiritual blessing had right to Baptism of Water Little Children held in Arms had right to Baptism of Water because Christ blessed them with a Spiritual blessing R. A's Answer to J. T 's Argument And grant is That the Infants blest by Christ were blessed with a spiritual blessing with this denyal That those Infants which Christ blessed with a Spiritual Blessing had no right to Baptism of Water Tho. Wall ' s Reply to R. A' s Answer of J. T' s. Argument Forasmuch as you grant that those Children held in Arms and brought to Christ were blessed with a Spiritual blessing it is then needful to examine by the golden Reed of Gods written Word what this spiritual blessing was the necessity the Children had of it the benefit they received by it and that by partaking of it they had right to Baptism of Water so I shall begin in order with the first particular That is What this Spiritual blessing was Christ bestowed on those Infants brought to him The Evangelist Luke is a true expounder what Christ Spiritual was as it is written Ye are the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our Fathers saying unto Abraham in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the Earth be blessed unto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Acts 3. 25 26. Again Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Rom. 4. 7. And again Blessed be the God and
to agree in one as the Apostle saith They that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction 2 Peter 3. 16. Now then the whole Scriptures are called the Word of God 1 Thes 2. 13. Luk. 8. 11. Yet as it hath many sentences or words as every word of God is pure Prov. 30. 5. Yet it is called the word of God because it agreeth in one harmony together as when a controversie fell out among the Church at Antioch it was ended in reconciling both Old and New Testaments together As it is written to this agreeth the words of the Prophet Acts 15. 15. And all the Apostles Doctrins agree with the Doctrins of the Prophets Rev. 21. 12. 14 19. Ephes 2. 20. Acts 26. 22. Acts 17. 11. Rom. 15. 4. Again the Apostle saith For there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one And there are three that bear witnesse in earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one 1 Joh. 5. 7. 8. Even so there are three baptisms the baptism of the Spirit Mat. 3. 11. the baptism of suffering Mark 10. 38 39. John 18. 11. and the baptism of Water Acts 10 47. Yet the Apostle saith there is but one baptism Ephes 4. 5. So that there is but one word or tearm for these three baptisms and when they be rightly understood the signification of the word baptism will agree in one so I shall begin with the first in order The signification of the word baptism is opened by the Spirit of God in the administration thereof in the spiritual baptism to be a pouring forth as saith the Prophet Vntill the spirit be poured on us from on high Esa 32. 15. Ezek. 39. 29. Joel 2. 28. which was fulfilled in Acts 2. 17. 18. and 10. 45. So that by this one Spirit the whole Church or body of Christ consisting of men women children are baptised into one body 1 Cor. 12. 13. Being an holy nation by the gift and sanctification of that holy Spirit 1 Peter 2. 9. 1 Thes 4. 8. Rom 15. 16. Heb. 11. 2. And this baptism of the Spirit is by the Spirit of God called sprinkling Ezek. 36. 25 26. Heb. 9. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 2. in the manner of Rain Psal 77. 17. Secondly There is also the Baptism of suffering Mark 10. 38 39. Col. 1 24. which the Saints or Members of Christs Body do partake of Phil. 2. 17. 2 Cor. 1. 5 6 7. As for example one suffers reproaches Heb. 13. 13. others reproaches and losse of goods Heb. 33. 34. others banishment Esa 51. 14. Rev. 1. 9. others losse of life Rev. 1â— 11. So every one according to the measure the Lord is pleased they shall be exercised with and these degrees of suffering some more and some lesse is the word Baptism signified by but shall a man say that he that suffers reproaches and not losse of goods is not partaker of Baptism of suffering or he or they that suffer losse of goods and banishment and not losse of life is he not partaker of the baptism of suffering because he doth not partake in the largest sense of the signification of the word baptism in suffering consider these things And thirdly There is also the Baptism of Water which being the same word as the two former in signification and we see the baptism of the Spirit is administred by pouring or sprinkling and also in Isa So shall he sprinkle many Nations Isa 52. 15. ye we see every one hath not a like measure of the Spirit Rom. 12. 3. but to every one is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ he gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors some Teachers Eph. 4. And he that received least received one tallent and all the baptism of the Spirit but shall a man say because he that received but one Tallent or the least gift of the Spirit that he is not partaker of the spiritual baptism because he hath not ten Tallents or the largest gift of the Spirit he would be deceived in his understanding of the true meaning of the word so as the word in the two former significations is not nor cannot be tied up to one sense according to the Scriptures nor the testimony of the Learned but signifieth more or lesse water in the administration of the baptism of water being performed in the order of God therefore it is evill to confine the word in the signification to dipping or greatest measure of the use of water unlesse the two other baptisms of the Spirit and suffering could or ought to be confined to the greatest measure of the Spirit and suffering but the learned in the Tongues as I conceive durst not confine the signification of the word Baptism to one sense as you presumptuously do but not only to dip but to wash to water and sprinkle and did very faithfully to leave it in the tearm baptize to be understood of all Gods people as his holy Spirit should direct them by context of Scripture comparing spiritual things with spiritual one Scripture unfolding another by harmony of agreement and this may be observed for a general rule of Faith that whatsoever Doctrin Collection or Observation for a truth believed out of holy Scripture by any If an absurdity will fall upon it then their supposed truth is but error as for example when some denyed the Resurrection of the Body the Apostle Paul overthrew their collection by an absurdity that justly would fall upon it in these words If the dead rise not then is not Christ risen then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain the like 1 Cor. 15. So likewise if according to your understanding of the word Baptize that it is only to be understood of the greatest measure of washing by dipping plunging or overwhelming it will then upon it this absurdity follow that he that hath not the greatest measure of the baptism of the Spirit as the Apostles Prophets and Evangelists hath not the baptism of the Spirit then the whol Church are not baptized by one Spirit into oâ—e Body for every one had not a like measure but had diversities of gifts then there is * Contrary to 1 Cor. 3. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 2. no babes in Christ but only those that have the greatest measure of knowledge contrary to the Apostles doctrin 1 Cor. 12. 4. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. seeing that it hath the same word for the spiritual baptism as for the water it must needs have the like sense in signification and if one may be tyed up to the largest sense only there is like reason for the other and if not the one then not the other thus my friend R. A. consider how you are deceived in your understanding of the true sense of the word Baptize and observe farther what