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truth_n	apostle_n	error_n	spirit_n	1,694	5	5.1563	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67284	A modest plea for infants baptism wherein the lawfulness of the baptizing of infants is defended against the antipædobaptists ... : with answers to objections / by W.W. B.D.	Walker, William, 1623-1684.	1677 (1677)	Wing W430; ESTC R6948	230,838	470

be said in General that it is reasonable to suppose that on what accounts the Adult delayed to be baptized themselves on the same they delayed the baptizing of their children unless where the case was altered by some particularity of circumstance and so it came to pass that the baptizing of many Infants was deserred till they came to riper years But there are further more Particular accounts to be given of the delaying of Infants more nearly relating unto them First some were as yet Heathens themselves unconverted to Christianity when their children were born and no marvel if they would not make their children Christians who themselves were Heathens And the same is the case of such as though in heart and purpose Christians when their children were born yet kept off from being baptized 2 Some Infants owed the delays of their baptizing to their Parents tend●rness and cautiousness who forbore to baptize them for fear they shoud be too weak either to endure the p●esent severities of baptism especially as then mostly administred by a total immersion and in some places three times into the water or to avoid the after defilements that would be contracted by them when they were baptized through the imbecility of their nature and the power of temptations whom Greg. Nazianz. checks for womanly weakness and littleness of faith unlike 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. Naz. Orat. 40. p. 648. Vide Eliae Cretens notam in locum Of the Trine Immersion see Dr. Cav● Primitive Christianity Part. 1. c. 10. P. 322. Also Greg. Notes ch 39. p. 171. and of the Ancients Apostol Canon 49. Dionys de Eccl. Hierarch cap. 4. Tertull. advers Praxeam p. 659. Ed. Rig. de Corona Mil. p. 121. D. Athanas q. 94. de Interp. Parab Script therein to Hannah who dedicated her Samuel unto God before he was born and consecrated him to his service as soon as he was weaned advising to arm and fortifie their Infants against all fears with that great and good Amulet of the Trinity by baptizing them into the Faith of it 3 Some were apt to delay their Infants baptism upon the account of their being insensible at their baptizing of what was got or lost by being or not being baptized perhaps also on a supposition that the Infants had no perception of any inward operation that baptism had upon them which some that were baptized at full years felt † The ancient Christians speak of high Illuminations wherewithall God pleased then to grace Baptism I make no question but they spake as they felt and that they talk no● of a strange change then wrought which never was Dr. Patrick of Baptism pag. 42. and St. Cyprian in particular testifies of himself l. 2. Ep. 2. Whom Greg. Nazianzen nevertheless advises 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. Naz. Orat. 40. p. 658. by all means to baptize their Infants especially in case of urgent danger telling them it were better that their children were sanctified without the sense then died without the seal of baptism arguing for the baptizing of the Infants of Christians though insensible of baptism from the eircumcising of the Infants of Jews the eighth day though insensible of circumcision 4 Lastly some might be of the mind of Tertullian and Gregory Nazianzen who in this case have something of singularity in their opinions and think it might be more for their childrens Itaque pro cujusque personae conditione ac dispositione etiam atate cun●latio baptismi utilior est pracipuè tamen circa parvalos Ait quidem Dominus Nolite illas prohibere ad me venire Veni ant ergo dum adolescunt veniant dum discunt dum quo veniant docentur siant Christiani quum Christum nosse potucrint Norint petere salutem ut petenti dedisse videaris Tertull. de Bapt. pag. 264. Ed. Rigal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Naz. Orat. 40. p. 658. advantage if they were not baptized till they could be able to answer to though they could not fully understand their Catechisms and in their own names desire to be baptized and might upon that account unless in case of necessity defer their Baptism the contrary whereto will I hope be abundantly manisested in these ensuing Papers And these are all the Reasons that in my little converse with the ancient Writers I have found of anies deferring either their own or their childrens Baptizing amongst all which there is not one that so much as borders upon any unlawfulness in Infants Baptism And now so many reasons being alledged for the delaying of Baptism so many shifts used for the putting it off in the Primitive Times and yet the Lawfulness of its being administred to Infants never once questioned all the while the Vlawfulness of it never urged it is a plain case that those Times had no such thoughts of Baptism as these have For had they thought Infants baptism unlawful for want of a Scripture command for it or example of it when any had been exhorted to an early baptizing of their children how easie and how unanswerable an answer had been ready at hand Christ never commanded any such thing as Infants baptism the Apostles never practised any such thing as the baptizing of Infants there is neither Precept for it nor Example of it in Holy Scripture and therefore it is unlawful and we dare not do it But in regard there is in all those times not the least appearance of any such objection made against it or of any such plea pretended for the deferring of it it is plain they thought there was either precept for it or example of it in Scripture or both or else thought that want of either or both did not make it unlawful and so did not defer it upon account of the unlawfulness of it And so all our Antipaedobaptists great boast of Antiquity for the baptizing of only Adult believing Persons and against the baptizing of Believers Infant children affords them but little roast there is not the least strength added to their cause thereby nor weakness brought upon ours And I wish those ignorant ones that are deluded with the great noise and gay show of it to take notice hereof that they be no longer deceived thereby And now this grand Prejudice being as I hope it is removed I shall no longer detain the Reader from the Treatise it self than to desire him to joyn with me in prayer to God to bless it to the end for which it is designed A Prayer GRacious Lord God who are not willing that any should perish but willest that all should be saved and come unto the knowledge of the Truth and hast sent both thy Prophets and thy Apostles thy Son and thy Spirit to convince men of Errour and bring them unto the Truth be pleased graciously to bless this Treatise and make it usefull unto that end Dispose the minds of those ignorant and deceived ones that shall read it unto a readiness to receive the truth therein held

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 Infan●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 a●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