PRINCETON, N. J. 
 
 Presented by Mr Samuel Agnew of Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 Agnczu Coll. on Baptism, No. /02rr^^-^ 
 
A BRIEF 
 
 DEFENCE 
 
 O F 
 
 Infant-Baptifnii 
 
 WITH AN 
 
 A P P E N D I X, 
 
 Wherein is fliewed, that it is not ne- 
 
 ceflary th^t Baptifm fhould be 
 
 adminiftred by Dipping. 
 
 By fOHN^OLLTFFE, 
 
 ^e^tor of Jlmer in the County of Dorfet. 
 
 Z O ND O ATy 
 
 Printed for Jonathan Robinfon at the Golden Lion in St. Paul% 
 
 Church-yard : and are to be fold by John Woolfryes^ 
 
 hoQ\St\\Qvm Blandford, MDCXCIV. 
 
"^V^H 
 
(5) 
 
 V"J" ' v >i »* k ' Of * 
 
 T O T H E 
 
 READE 
 
 ^ ^ "^ HE follomng Treatife is the Sub- 
 jlm.ce of fome Difcowfes v^hich I 
 delivered in my Farijb-Churchy for 
 the Ejiahlijhment of my Hearers in the "pre- 
 fent Truth: which 1 7J0tP fuhlifh, fartly 
 for their fah^s^ to fut them in remembrance 
 thereof and that they may have fomething 
 Jiill by them to ofpofe to the rejilefs and imfor- 
 tmate Infmuations of thofe that are of the 
 other Verfrpajion : And fartly^ in ho^es that 
 it may be of fome Vfe to others :, that eith'er 
 need or defre Settlement or Information here- 
 in. If it jhall fall into the Hands of any of 
 thofe of the other rr?ay^ I only dejire this of 
 them J that they rPtU endeavour to read it with 
 as little Prejudice as they can : For I can af 
 
 A 2 fure 
 
(4) 
 
 fure them, that I have no mind either to de- 
 ceive, or to he deceived. But as I have 
 learned J and am ferfwaded of the Truth y as 
 it is in Jefm ; fo do I defire to fpea\^y and 
 peachy and live. If any jhall thinly that thk 
 had been a Province fitter for others to have 
 undertal^ny I jhall readily join n>ith them in 
 the fame Opinion. But yet I Jhall add this ^ 
 that I have fome Reafons to incline me to do 
 as 1 have done : And I doubt not but to find 
 Excufe at leafty among all thofe that aretrn- 
 ly candidy andfincere Lovers of Truth. If 
 thou receivefiy Readery any Benefit thereby y 
 give God the Praifcy and fray for me. 
 
 John Ollyffe* 
 
 A 
 
(T ) 
 
 
 A Brief Defence of Infant-Baptifm. 
 
 TH A T I may proceed with all iiivaginable PlakneS in 
 this Matter, I fliall firfl fet down what I have to fay by 
 way of Argument for it, which I fhall endeavour to 
 clear up and confirm •, and then I Ihall afterwards en- 
 deavour to remove the Objedions that are moft commonly made, 
 and moft ufually rais'd again ft it 
 
 To begin with the firft : That which I have to fay by way of Ar- 
 gument in the Defence of Infant-Baptifm, is this, viz.. 
 
 They that are to be ov;ned and received by us, as the Children 
 of God, and his Peculiar and Covenant-People, and Members of the 
 Church of Chrift, to whom the promifed BlefTmgs of the Covenant 
 do belong, ought to be baptized ;. 
 
 But there are fome young Children or Infants, who are to be re-? 
 ceived and owned by us, as the Children of God^ and his Peculiar 
 and Covenant- People, and Members of the Church of Chrift, to 
 whom the promifed Blefllngs of the Covenant do belong : 
 
 Therefore there are fome.young Children or Infants who ought to 
 be baptized.. 
 
 For the clearing and confirming of this Argument, two things 
 arc to be made out and confirmed. 
 
 L That there are fome young Children or Infants, who are to 
 be owned and received by us, as the Children of God, and his Pe- 
 culiar and Covenant-People, and Members of the Church of Chiift, 
 to whom the promifed Bleffings of the Covenant do belong. 
 
 II. That being to be faowned and received by us, they are there^ 
 fore to be baptized* 
 
 I. That there are^ Ibme young Children or Infant^, who are ta 
 be owned and received by us, as the Children of God, and his Pe- 
 culiar and Covenant-People, and Members of the Church of Chrift,. 
 to whom the promifed Bleffings of the Covenant do belong. 
 
 For there are ferae young Children or Infants that have been fo 
 received, and reckoned, and declared by God himfelf, for his pe« 
 
 culiar 
 
A ^rief 'Defence 
 
 culiar srd Covenant-People, and Children, and Members of his 
 Church •, and this rhtir Church-Memberfhip and Relation to him, 
 as his peculiar Covenant- People and Children, hath never been abo- 
 liOi'd or taken away by him, but is Hill continued, and rather con- 
 firmed to feme young Children or Infants ftill : therefore there are 
 ibme young Children cr Infants that are likewife ftill to be owned 
 -and received by us for fuch. 
 
 I. I fay, that fome young Children or Infants have been owned 
 and received, and declared by God, for bis Children, and Mem- 
 bersof his Church, and have been reckoned and taken by him into 
 the Number of his peculiar Covenant- People. 
 
 By the Church of God I mean that Body and Number of Perfons 
 which God haih chofen, and called, and fet apart in a feparatc 
 manner from the reft of the World, to be brought nearer to him- 
 felf in Relation, and learning the true Religion, in order to the 
 partaking of thofefpiritual and eternal Bleffings by Chiift, which 
 he hath promifed in the Covenant of Grace. 
 
 And they that are of the Number of, or do belong to this Body 
 or Society of Perfons, I call the Members of the Church, as being 
 Parts or Members of this Body. 
 
 And thefe being fuch as God ispleafed to take into a ncarerand 
 more appropriate Relation to himfelf, than he doth others, are 
 therefore alio called his Children or Covenant- People-, and he is 
 their Father and Head. So that to be a Child of God, and Mem- 
 ber of his Church, and of the Number of" his peculiar Covenant- 
 People, is all one '■> that is, doth denote one and the fame Perfbn. 
 
 Now, I fay, that fome young Children or Infants have been of 
 the Number of thofe that have been thus chofen and taken by God 
 into this near Relation to himfelf, as his Covenant- People and 
 Children, fothat he bath had a peculiar and feparate Rcfpcft to 
 them, a. well as to their Parents and other adult Peribns, in ano- 
 ther and dilliinguii'hing rannner from what he hath had to the etber 
 Peopk of the World ;, and (-his his Refped to them he hath openly 
 declared ?aA teftified, that others in like manner might accordingly 
 own and re-ccive them. Such hath been the Grace and Gocdnefs of 
 God, tochoofeand take the Infants of fuch as he bach called into 
 a near Covenant-rl elation to himfelf, that they might partake alfo 
 of the Bleffings of the fame Covenant. • J.' 
 
 It is to be ohf?ryed from the Beginning, t-hiat the Seed of thofe 
 who have been God's Covenant-People, have been likewife owned 
 and taken by God into Covenant with him ^ and fo have continued 
 
 in 
 
of I N F A NT-B A PT IS M. ^ 
 
 in that State, till by their own Wickednefs and Apoflacy they have 
 fallen from it, and fo have been difcovenanted or rejedted by God. 
 And the whole Current and Harmony of Scripture ftieweth, that 
 ever fmce there was a vifible Church on Earth, the Children there- P^ojfofitm 
 of have by the Lord's Appointment been a Part thereof. Eve, the T"''''f'^„ 
 Mother of all Living, hath a Promife made, Gen.^.i^. not only ofgS 
 of Chrift the Head- feed, but through him alfo of a Church-feed, &.c. by a 
 to proceed from her in a continued lineal Succeffion, which fhould '^™^ i^t-- 
 continually beat viiible Enmity with, and ftand at a Diftance, and Lofton, 
 be feparated from the Seed of the Serpent. Under that Promife ^" ' ^' 
 made to E^'e and her Seed, the Children of Mam are born, and are 
 a part of the Church in Mam'^s Family. Even C^/« was fo. Gen. 4. 
 1,3. till caft out from the Prefence of God therein, for the Mur- 
 der of his Brother, wr. 14. being now manifeftly one of the Seed 
 of the Serpent, 1 John 3. 12. and fo becoming the Father of a wick- 
 ed unchurch'd Race. But then God appointed unto Eve another, 
 viz. Seth^ in whom to continue the Line of her Church- feed' 
 Ge». 4. 25. And how it did continue in his Seed in their Generati- 
 ons, is Ihewed in Ge?i. 5. And hence the Children of the Church are 
 called the Sons of God^ (whi.ch is as much as Members of the vifible 
 Church) in contradiilindion to the Daughters of Men^ the Proge- 
 ny of unchurched Cain, Gen. 6. 2. Again 5 if righteous Noah be 
 taken mto the Ark, (then the only preferving Place of the Church 
 to which the Apoftle applieth Baptilm, as having a myftical Relati- 
 on to it) his Children alfo are taken in with him, Gen. 7. i. though 
 one of them, viz.. Ham, after proved degenerate and wicked •, but 
 till he fo appears, he is continued in the Church with his Brethren, 
 And as the Race of Hamy or his Son Canaan (Parent and Children; 
 are curfed, Gtn. 9. 25, 25, 27. So likewife Shem (Parent and Chil- 
 dren) is blelTed, and continued in the Place of Bleffing, the Church. 
 As ?^p/;/raIfo, or Jaf,m\ Poflerity (ftiU Parent and Children) 
 fliall m time be brought in. And the holy Line, mentioned in Gen. 1 1'. 
 1 0—26. Ihews how the Church continued in the Seed oiShem from 
 him unto Ahraharm - ' 
 
 And when that Race grew degenerate, (as it is plain they did, 
 ^#.24. 2.) then God called Abraham o\m of his Country, and 
 from his Kindred, and eilablilhed his Covenant with him, which 
 ftill took m Parents and Children, Gen. 17. 7. And here was a To- 
 ken or Sign ordered for the Confirmation of this Covenant, which 
 was to. bs applied to Children in their Infant- ftate, even at eight 
 Days old> ver, 10, 1 1, 12. Here indeed we have the firft mentien 
 
A "Brief Defence 
 
 of Infants as owned by God, and taken into Covenant by liim, toge- 
 ther with their Parents •, as here we read of the firft Token of the 
 Covenant that was to be applied to them. But the Time is alfo to 
 be held of thofe that are fpoken of before, though it be not parti- 
 cularly mentioned, becaufe there was no Sign then appointed for 
 the confirming of this Covenant to them as there now was. Yet 
 foralinuch as they are reckoned flill to be, and continue in their 
 Church-flate, till by their Wickednefs or Apoftacy they were cut 
 offi and are reckoned to be in this Church-ftate, as coming and pro- 
 ceeding from fuch Parents as God had chofen and called into fo n^ar 
 a Relation to himfelf, they are theretore to be reckoned even from 
 their Infancy to have been in this State. 
 
 And as for the Covenant made with Jhraham and his Infant-feed, 
 I (hall briefly obferve, for the preventing of Obje(^ions, that it was 
 the fame which in the Gofpel is called the new Covenant, And Cir- 
 cumcillon, which was ordered to be the Token or Seal of it, and to 
 be applied to the fame Infant' feed, was a Token and Seal of it, as 
 fuch ; as appears by the Terms which in the main Article of it are 
 the fame with thofe which are reckoned by the Apoftle to belong to 
 the New Covenant : For J mS e(lahli[h^ faith God, my Covenant be- 
 tween me and thee^ and thy Seed after thee^ in their Generations^ for an 
 ever i aft ing Covenant y to be a God unto thee ^ and to thy Seed after thee. 
 This is the main Point. And thus that which the Apoftle calls the 
 New Covenant^ runs in the fame Terms in that main Article likcwife, 
 Heb. 8. lo. / will be te them a God^ and they fliall be to me a People. 
 And the Pfalmift hath taught us, that this imports and fignifieth 
 much more than any kind of outward Profperity whatfoever, or all 
 together. For howfoever a People may be look'd upon happy, that is 
 infiich a Cafe •, yet this is the chief Point,the all in all,the Sum of that 
 Blelledaefs that can belong to a People •, Ffal. 144. i 5. Haffy is that 
 People rvhofe God u the Lord. And our Saviour hath dednnpd th^ 
 Promife of the Refar reel ion it felf, from Code's being the Godof A- 
 braham, 4«.-itf/lfaac, #zW<?/ Jacob, Matth. 22. Sothatconfequent- 
 ly the ReOjrreclion of all others, to whom God is a God, may be 
 concluded from the fame Covenant-relation like wife. So that the 
 Covenant made with Abraham and his Seed, in their Generations, 
 was the Gofpel-Covenant for the main Articles of it, and contained 
 in it the greatefl: Gofpel- Bleffings. The Promife and Giving of Ca~ 
 ?;aan was but an Appendix or Appurtenance to it, and not the prin- 
 cipal thing refpeded-, but under //p*if a better Country was intended : 
 And fo Abraham underllood it, for he kok^d for a City which had a 
 
I^omdafion, whofe Builder and Mak^r u God^ Heb. 1 1. ro. But ^^ 7^- 
 journed in that earthly Land of Vromife-t Oi inaftrange Country^ droel- 
 ling in Tabernacles with Ifaac and Jacob, the Heirs mth him of the fame 
 Trontife^ ver.9. So that neither he himfelf,nor many others to whom 
 the Promife was made, did enjoy the earthly Canaan for an Inheri- 
 tance. But they confefs^d themfelves^ that they were Strangers and Pil- 
 grims upon Earth ^ and they dejired a better Country y that u^ an heaven- 
 ly-, ver. 13, 1 6. which they did no doubt, by virtue of the Promife, 
 as they underftood it. And this the Apoftle looks upon a verifying 
 and making good that Relation that God engaged himfelf in to 
 them \ for therefore.^ faith he, he vom not apamed to be called their God^ 
 hecaufe he had prepared for them a City^ ver. 1 6. So that Abraham had 
 that which the Apoftle calls the Promife of eternal Inheritance^ Heb.9. 
 1 5. For if the Inheritance be of the Larv^ it is no more of Promife i bptt 
 mvp^ the Apoftle faith, God gave it to Abraham by Promife, Gal. 3. 
 1 8. So that the Promife of eternal Life and Happinefs in Heaven, 
 is contained in the Covenant that God made with Abraham and his 
 Seed-, together with thofe that were born in his Houfe, who yet Gen. 17. 
 had never any ftia.re with his Seed in the Land of Canaan^ as an In- ' 2, in- 
 heritance, at all i nor was the Mefliah to defcend from their Loins. 
 And what was this then lefs than the Gofpel-Covenant ? 
 
 And if the Promife of eternal Life was contained in this Cove- 
 nant, then we may be fure it contained alfo the Promife of Juftifi- 
 cation or Remiftion of Sin. And iffo, then what was it lefs than 
 the Gofpel-Covenant ? And thus the Apoftle aiTures us likewife it 
 was, and that the Gofpel was preached unto Abraham^ Gal. 3.8. 
 For the Serif tnre fore feeing that Godwonld JH^ify the Heathen through 
 Faith^ preach'^dthe Gofpel before mto Abraham, faying, Inthee jhall 
 all Nations be blejfed. It is true, this Claufe which the Apoftle quotes, 
 is not in Gen. 1 7. wherein the Covenant is made with Abraham and 
 his Seed, which we have infifted upon-, but in Gen, 12.3. and elfe- 
 where. But yet this Promife which the Apoftle deduceth from 
 thcfe Words, muft likewife be contained in this Covenant > andfo 
 thofe Words muft be alfo a Pare of it, though fpoken at another 
 time ; BecaufeCircumcifion, that was the Token of this Covenant, 
 was a Seal to Abraham of this Promife j Rom. 4. 1 1 . And he re- 
 ceived the Sign of Circnmcifion^ a Seal of the Righteoufnefs of the Faith^ 
 nhich he had being yet mcircftmcifed : Which muft be founded on 
 th^ Promife ^ fo that that Promife likewife belongs to this Covenant, 
 aM therefore is fealed by it. And this Covenant, as delivered to 
 Abraham^ the Apoftle tells us alfo, was confirmed in Chrift., Gal.3. 1 7. 
 
 B and 
 
10 "A ^rief Defence 
 
 and therefore can be no other than the Gofpel or New Covenant 
 Yea, and the Promife of divine Affiftance for fulfilling the Conditi- 
 ons of the Covenant, was contained alfo in the fame Covenant 
 mth Abraham: For fo we find it was underftood by the Church 
 formerly •, ^ic 7. ip, 20. He will fubdue our Iniquities \ and thou 
 wilt cafi their Sins into ths Depth of the Sea. Thou wtlt perform the Truth 
 ««f<? Jacob, and the Mercy to Abraham, which thou haft fworn to our 
 Fathers from the Days of old. Which muit needs have Refped to 
 God's Oath and Covenant with Abraham. And fo alfo the Apo- 
 ftle reckons, that God's fending his Son Chrifb to blefs them, and 
 to turn them from their Iniquities, was a great Inftance of the Ac- 
 complifhraent of the Covenant that Gi^d made with Abraham^ Ads 3. 
 25,25. For the great Defign of Gc/i in this Covenant at firft, (as 
 appears by the firll Call that v/as gu'en him, Gen. 12. 1 was to fe- 
 parate him and his Family and Seed, from the reft of the Nations, 
 which were fallen into the vilefl Idolatry, and to preferve Religion 
 and the Worfliip of the true God in his Family. And the Promife 
 of the Me frah., in whom the Covenant is founded, had this Defign 
 in it j Luke I • 72,73, 74, 75. The Oath that he fware to our Father 
 Abraham, that he would grant unto us^ that we beinq^ delivered out of 
 ths Hands of our EnerHies, might ferve him without Fear^ in Holinefs 
 and Righteoufnefs before him all the Days of our Life. So that the Co- 
 venant with Ahiiham was a Church-Covenant, and contained in it 
 all the Terms ana Dtfign that belonged to fuch a Covenant, and 
 was made with all the Family of Abraham^ in which his Infant-feed 
 was alfoxomprehended, and were to partake of the Promifes and 
 Privileges that appertained to it : It belonged to all his Family in 
 the external Difpenfation of it \ and none were excluded from the 
 Benefits of it, that did not exclude themfelves by their own adual 
 Unbelief and Difobedience to the Terms of it. And Circumcifion 
 was a Seal of it to all with whom it was made, as the vifible Church 
 of God, and to the Infant-feed of Abraham^ as Parts or Members 
 thereof For Sacraments or Signs are not appointed to the Church 
 Invifi^Ie, (for who iball judg then to whom they are to be admini- 
 ftred ? ) but to the Chnrch as Vifible. Thus having cleared up the 
 Nature of the Ahrahamical Covenant which God made with him and 
 his Seed, even in their Infant-ftate, I fhall now go forward, and 
 Ihall obferve how God hath fiiQwn the fame gracious Refpeds to In- 
 fants, in the Progrefs of his Difpenfations towards the Jewilk 
 People. 
 
 ^ And thus we Jiad afterwards, that the whole Body of the Je wife, 
 
 P«o- 
 
o/" InF A Nt-BAPT ISli. ^l ^ 
 
 People in Jacobh Line, amongfl: whom Children alfo were contain- 
 ed, arecolleaivelyfliled by Godhimfelf^« Son-^ Exod. 4.22,23. 
 Say unto Pharaoh, Thiu faith the Lord, Ifrael i^ my Son, even my Firft. 
 born: And I fay unto thee. Let my Son go, that he may ferve me. 
 Thus Gcd fpeaks of them before they were formed into a Political 
 Commonwealth, only becaufe he had chofen and called them out of 
 the Nations, to be a peculiar People to himfelf. And in this Ap- 
 pellation their little ones were comprehended, as appears, becaufe 
 they were of the Number of thofe that were to go alfo : For Pha- 
 raoh would have let the Men of Ifrael go, but not their little ones, ^ I 
 Exod. I G. I o. Sut we will go, faith Mofes, with our Xoung and with \ | 
 €Hr Old, ver. p. So that the whole Body of Ifrael, including little 
 ones alfo, was God's Son ; for God had chofen and called all the Seed 
 of Ifrael to be his Covenant- People. 
 
 And therefore thus alfo Mofes afterwards enters and engages aU 
 into Covenant with God, one as well as another, taking in the Z/^- 
 tle ones likewife : Deut. 29. 10, 1 1, 1 2, 1 3. Te ftand thu Day all of 
 you before the Lord yonr God ; your Captains of your Iribes, your Elders, 
 And your Officers, with all the Men ^/Ifrael •, your little ones your Wives, 
 and the Stranger that vi in thy Camp, from the Hewer of thy Wood to the 
 Drawer of thy IVater v that thou jhouldil enter into Covenant wtth the 
 Lord thy God, and into his Oath, which the Lord thy God mak^th with 
 thee this Day •, that he may eftablijh thee to Day for a People unto hmfelf, 
 and that he may be unto thee a God, oi he hath fatd unto thee, and 04 he 
 hath fwffrn unto thy Fathers, to Abraham, rolfaac, and to Jzcob. So 
 that this was but the renewing of the Abrahamical Covenant with 
 the People, as appears by the latter Glaufe of it running in the 
 fame Terms, for the Accomplilhment of the Promife and Oath 
 made to Abraham and his Seed. And in the next Chapter the Grace Deut.50.6 
 fignified by Circumcifion,is there promifed to Parents and Children, 
 to enable them to perform the Terms of it : And it being promifed 
 to both, it imports that the Covenant, which Circumcifion fealed, 
 belongs to both : For the Lord thy Cod will circumcife thine Hearty and 
 the Heart of thy Seed, 
 
 And after this aga*r, even when the People were fallen off alfo 
 to the Worlhip of other '^ods, yet retaining ftitl the Acknowledg- 
 ment of thc^God of Ifrael^ (though they joined others with him) 
 God cballengeth and owns their Children for his ; £««^ i5. 20, 2 1 . 
 Thou haB taken thy Sons and thy Vaughters, whom thou haft born unto 
 me,' and thefe haft thou facrificed * ?A m hajl (lain my Children, and de- 
 livered them, to caufs tb(m to pafs through thi Fire. 
 
 B i Now 
 
1 1 A ISruf Defence 
 
 Now it was upon ifc*^ Account, viz. by virtuefof God's choofing 
 and calling the Seed ofj^braham^ and feparating them from the reft 
 of the World to the Knowledg and Worfbip of the true God, that 
 they were ftikd his pcuUar People andChildrerty and not upon a mere 
 Political Account, or upon the Account of other carnal and tem- 
 poral Refpeds : For in this manner we find Mofes fpeaking to them v 
 Deut 14. 1, 2. Te are the Children of the Lord your God, and there- 
 fore are not to follow or comport with the Cufloms and Practices 
 of the Heathen : For thou art an holy People unto the Lord thy God\ and 
 the Lord hath chofen thee to he a feculiar People to himfelf-, above all the 
 Nations that are upon the Earth. And fo chap. 7. 6. For thou art an 
 holy People mto the Lord thy God ; the Lord thy God hath chofen thee to 
 he afpecial People unto himfelf .^ above all the People that are upon the Face 
 of the Earth. Which are the Appellations that are likewife given to 
 the Members of the Chriftian Church in theNew-Teftament-Times 
 by the Apoftle, i Pet. 2. 9. Te are a chofen Generation.^ a Royal Priefl- 
 hood, an holy Nation^ a peculiar People^ that ye (hottld Jhew forth the 
 Praifes of him who hath called yon out of Dark^efs into his marvelloHt- 
 Light ; which in time pafi were not a People, bnt are now the People of 
 God. So that thefe Titles being given to the Jews, import their 
 like Covenant-relation to God in a Church-fenfe, as they here be- 
 long to Chriftians in the fame Senfe. 
 
 Now the whole Body of the People of the Jews being called by 
 God into this holy Covenant-relation to himfelf, are ftiled by the 
 Prophet, Ifrael his called., Ifa. 48. 1 2. And as thus he chofe and 
 called them, fo he chofe their Seed after them, Deut. 4. 37. The 
 great Defign of this Eledion and Call of God, being to prefer'^e 
 pure Religion among them, which was extinguifh'd in the reft of 
 the World ^ and therefore he took and adopted their Seed likewife 
 to be as a Nurfery to the Vineyard of the Church. And therefore, 
 11.78.5, as the Pfalmift faith, He efiablijhed a Tefiimony in Jzcob, and appoint' 
 ed a LawinKvady which he commanded our Fathers that they Jhould 
 make k^own unto their Children: that the Generation to come might know 
 them, even the Children which fheuld be born, who jhould arife and de- 
 ilare them to their Children. According to Vent. 4. 9. and chap. 6. 7. 
 the great Care and Defign of God being to raife up an holy Peo- 
 ple to himfelf among the Nations, to preferve the true Religion in 
 the World V and it being of great Import to this, to have Children 
 and little ones well educated and brought up in the Belief, and 
 Owning, and Worfbip of the true God, he therefore ordered thetn 
 a vilible AdmilTion, or Partnerfliip, and Memberfliip in his Church, 
 
o/ In F AN t-B A P T I S M. . I] i 
 
 that they- might be alfo owned and received as his People and Children, ' \ 
 that their Parents and Guardians might be obliged to take the more Care 
 of their Education for the promoting the great End of the Covenant. 
 Thus the Adoption, and the Promifes, as the ApolUe tells us, pertained Rom. p. 4, 
 to all Jfraely amougft whom the young Children alio were included, they 
 being all God's Chofen and Called, and. fo continued till they were re- 
 ceded and cut off, through their own adual Apoftacy and Rebellion a- 
 gainftGod i and then they were difcovenanted, both they and the Chil- 
 dren of thofe that were guilty of this Apoftacy. But for others that con- 
 tinue ftill in a profefs'd Adhefion to God, and perfifl in the Profellion cf 
 the true Religion, this their Church- ftate, and Covenant- relation to 
 God, as his peculiar People, is continued fiill, both to them and their 
 Seed, and was never taken olT from either unto this Day : Which is the 
 fccond thing I am now to come to lliew. 
 
 2. I fay, that this Adoption of the Infants or young Children of his. 
 Covenant-People, into this near Relation to himfelf, as the^Children of ■ 
 God,, and fo their PartnerQiip or MemberHiip in the vifible Church cf 
 God, was never abolilh'd or taken away by God, but is ftill continued, 
 and rather confirmed. 
 
 For how indeed can it be imagined or fuppofed, that now in the Go- 
 fpel- Adminiftration, which is an Adminiftration wherein there is a greater 
 Extcnfivenefs and Enlargement of God's gracious RefpecS: to the World, 
 in refped of fpiritual Privileges and Mercies, than there was before, that 
 his Goodncfs and gracious Refped ftiould be more reftrained, in reference 
 to Infants and young Children, than it was formerly ? For the Infants of 
 Jews and Profclytes formerly were taken into the Number of God's Co- 
 venant-People and Children, and had the Seal of the Covenant applied 
 to them for the Confirmation thereof. And if this Privilege and Bene- 
 fit fliould be now taken away, their Condition after Chrift would be 
 worfe than before, and they (hould be Lofers by the World's becoming. 
 Ghriftian. This one would think none fliould ever imagine Neither, 
 when we fpeak thus, do we complain againft God, but againft them, 
 who would exclude whom the Lord hath not excluded. 
 
 For we do not find that ever God hath repented of any Grace or Fa- 
 vour, that he hath fticwed to the little ones of his Covenant- People, in 
 refpedt of their being to be reckoned of his Church. But in thofe Pro- 
 f^cies which we find in the Old Teftament concerning the future Difco- 
 veries and Declarations of his Favour, we find that there was the fame 
 Grace and Kindnefs foretold and intended to be (hewn to the Children 
 as to the Parents. So that in this manner the Church fliould be propa- 
 gated from Parents to Children, and fo the true Religion prefcrved in this/ 
 
A ^rief Defence 
 
 way, as the ttioft proper means for it. Thus in that Prophecy which 
 hath relation to the Calling of the Jews in Gofpel-times, as appears by 
 the Apofile's quoting fome part of it to that purpofe, Rom. 11.26. viz., 
 Ifa. 59. 20. ^s forme^ thk k my Covenant^ faith the Lordy My Spirit 
 that is upon thee, and my Words which I have put in thy Month, fhaU 
 not depart oHt of thy Mouthy nor ont of the Mouth of thy Seed, nor out of 
 the Month of thy Seeds Seed, faith the Lerd^from henceforth and for ever. 
 And Co in like manner it is a Prophecy of Gofpel times •■> Ifa. 44. 3. / 
 will pour Water npon him that is thirfty, and Floods upon the dry Ground * 
 / Toill ponr my Spirit upon thy Seed, and my Blejftng upon thy Offspring : 
 And they Jliall fpring up oi among the Grafs, as Wtllows by the Water- 
 Ccmfes. And £-Ctf^47. 22. The Tenout and Intendment of God's 
 Favour to little ones is always the fame as it ever was, in reference to 
 their being of his Church and People ^ nor is there the leafl Indication of 
 any Defign of the DiiTulution or Alteration thereof. 
 
 For hrft, for clearing of this Matter, let usconfider, that when God 
 firft fticwed this Refped to Abraham and his Infant-feed, to take them 
 near to himfelf as his peculiar People, God's Eledion and Call of them 
 to this peculiar Covenant-relation to himfelf, as his Children jind People, 
 and fo his giving them a Partnerfhip or Memberflbip in the Ahrahamicd 
 Churchy was not with Refped: merely to their Proceeding by natural Ge- 
 neration from Abraham.^ but from Abraham as a Believer and Worfhip- 
 per of the true God \ there being a fair Profped upon this Account, that 
 Abraham vv'ould take care to train them up and educate them in the true 
 Religion. Whereas the Children of Heathens, where there was no (iich 
 Profped, had no fuch regard (hewn them by God. This feems to be 
 much upon God's Heart, as we may exprefs it, in his treating with A^ 
 hraham, and giving of him thofe great Promifes, Gen. 18. i p. for I 
 know him., that he will command his Children and his Honflield after him % 
 and they {hall keep the way of the Lord, to da Jftflice and Judgment, that 
 the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath fptken of him. It 
 was with Abraham, as a Believer and true Wctfhipper of God, that God 
 treated and made this Covenant, and fo took his Children alfo into that 
 near Relation to himfelf, when the Children of the Heathen wereneg- 
 leded, as their Fathers were. And fo thiS BleiTing, in like manner, was 
 to be continued to his Children and Poftcr'ty, to fuccellive Generations, 
 as Believers, or Children of Abraham^s F'aith, ftill continuing to believe 
 in, and wor(hip the God of Abraham. In this Refped God promifed 
 to be their God, and the God of their Seed, upon condition that they 
 keep his Covenant and his Statutes. But if they refufed to do fo, they 
 were to be cut oii, and to have no Part or Inheritance in God or the 
 
o/ I N F A N t- B A P t I S M. 
 
 Bleflfings of his Covenant, neither they nor their Seed. But on the other 
 fide, they that were not of the natural Seed of Abraham^ but were 
 bought with his Money, or were born of Gentile Parents, in his Houfe, 
 they being brought into this near Capacity to be inftru<aed and brought 
 up in the true Religion, were Hkewife to (hare in this Covenant, and to 
 partake of thefan:ic fpiricual Privileges with the natural Seed Of Abraham^ 
 and were to be reckoned and numbred with them as the People and Chil- 
 dren of God » and God promifed to be their God likewife, as well as of 
 Abraham's natural Seed. And fo alfo afterwards, all thofe Gentiles thac 
 were at any time profclyted and brought over to the Faith and-Religiou 
 of Abraham^ were with their Children admitted to the fame Privileges-. 
 So that it appears, that it was with Abraham only as the Father of the 
 Faithful, and confequently with all thofe that are the Children of the 
 Faith of Abraham was this Covenant made, that God would be their 
 God, and the God of their Seed, though they are not Abraham's Chil- 
 dren or Seed according to the Flcfli by natural Generation. The Cove- 
 nant was made with Abraham and all his fpiritual Seed, and not with 
 his Seed meerly according to the Flefti. 
 
 The Apoi\le hath cleared this to us, Rom. 9. 6, 7^ 8. Not oa though 
 thtWordoY ?Yomife of Godhaxh taken none effeU^ becaufe he will fejed 
 and caft' off thofe that were defcended oi Abraham (ot their Unbelief 
 and rejecting the Gofpel, to whom you think that the Pro mifes were 
 made : For they are not all the true Ifrael of God, to whom the Promife 
 belongs, which are defcended of Ifrael -, neither becaafe they are the Seed 
 0/ Abraham by natural Generation only, are they 2M Children of God^s 
 Covenant : hut in Ifrael )&<?// thy Seed be called zn^ chofen, to whom the 
 Covenant and Promifes (hall belong. That is i All they which are the 
 Children of the Flefh, as proceeding from Abraham only by natural Ge- 
 neration, thefe, meerly as fuch, are not the Children of God that he 
 reckons amongfi his Covenant-People, but the Children of the Promife 
 only, as Jfaac was, (that is, that are Abrah/uns fpiritual Seed) are ac- 
 counted for the Seed that God took into that near Covenant-relation to 
 himfelf V and thefe he will own fiill in the fame Capacity as ever, both 
 they and their Seed. And therefore the Covenant of God to Abraham 
 and his Seed, ftands firm againft all the vain Objections of the unbelie- 
 ving Jews. From this Difcourfe of the Apof^le then it foUoweth, that 
 !t was not with the Nation of the Jews only, as being that natural Seed 
 of Abraham^ that the Covenant was made, and that the Adoption did 
 belong to them and to their Seed i but it was, and is a Benefit belonging 
 to all Believers, as the Children of ^^r<«fcWs Faith, that did or ever 
 &ould join themfelves to the People of the God of Abraham, AH iuch 
 
.1 6 J Brief Defence 
 
 arc full an holy and peculiar People to God, both they and their Seed, 
 till they cut thennfelves o/F by their own adual Rebellion and Apoftacy, as 
 the Jews did in our Saviour's and the Aportles times, by their not re^ 
 ceiving him that was (ent of God. The fame fpiritual Privileges do be- 
 long to all believing Parents, and to tiieir Seed and Family, or thofe 
 they become Guardians or Tutors to, to bring them up in the true Reli- 
 gion, now in the Gofpel-Miniftration, as did belong to the Children and 
 Family of Jewifh Believers formerly. 
 
 This appears yet further by the Apoftle's Difcourfe, jitlsi.^p. For 
 
 Compare the Troraife^ or Covenant (for thefe are Terms that do mutually infer 
 
 Ads 5, 2 $. each other) u unto yon and to your Children^ u^onyoHr Faith i and alfo to" 
 
 Gal. 5. 16, all the'Gentiles that are afar off: Tet even m many a* the Lord oar God 
 
 ^^j^^'^9-y^4//c^//^ to the receiving and owning of the fame Faith, and fo confe- 
 
 Hcb.i^l 1 7J quently to their Children and Seed alfo, as well as unto your felvcs. 
 
 " Here the old Grant to them and to their Seed is declared to be continued, 
 
 and fo by Confequence to the Offspring of all thofe that fhould hereafter 
 
 believe. 
 
 But this Matter may be rendred yet more clear from fevcral PafTagcs 
 ^ -in the Apoftle's Difcourfe in Rom. 11. for it appears there by the Apoftle, 
 
 that the Jewifli and Chriftian Church arc radically and fundamentally the 
 fame Church, the fame Stock and Pvoot •, and the fame Terms and Con- 
 ditions of Church-memberfliip or Difchurching do belong to both. Nor 
 is the Chriftian Church any new Conftitution dilHn6t from the Jewifh, 
 nor is the way of Church-memberftiip in it any other now than what 
 was before. The Laws are indeed altered in many things, but in this 
 Matter there is no Alteration, there is the fame Covenant, and the fame 
 Church, and the Church is ftill conftituted of Abraham's fpiritual Seed, 
 as it was before ; fo that the fame Church- members alfo keep their Place 
 in it as there did then. And confequently.as Infants, or little Children 
 of Believers, were Members of it before their Parents became Chriliian i 
 fo they continue to be ftill after they became fo : And fo the Childi^n of 
 all Gentile Believers for the future. Yorconfider, ver. 17. the believing 
 Gentiles are but ^r4/?^^i« amongji them^ and with them partake of the 
 y<»/»ff fpiritual Privileges: andi'cr. 20. it is becanfe of Vnbelief^ that 
 any of the Branches are broken off: and they that believe are always in it. 
 So that the Church is the fame, and ftill remains without any Difcontinu- 
 ance or Diffolution of it, only Unbelievers are broken off from it, and 
 others tfiat believe are grafted in their room. It is the fame Olive-tree^ 
 or the fame Church ftill, but fome of the Branches are broken off, fc, the 
 unbelieving Jews ; and others, that is, believing Gentiles, are grafted 
 in : And none are (hut out but only through Unbelief. They that believe 
 
 con- 
 
o/' iNFANt-B A P T I S M. 
 
 continue ftil! of iti and To alfo their Children, in the fame manner as before, 
 they having no Unbelief of their own, by which they fliould be broken off, 
 nor yet any imputed to them from ;:heir Pc-ents, they being Believers. And 
 ver, 2p. For the Gifts and Callbig of u<j4 are mithont Repentance. He will 
 never repent of any Favour that lie !iath ever by Promife conferred upon any 
 o( uibrabanPs {pmtujil Seed, ortheli' Children. So that when thof^ Jews 
 that are now Unbelievers, and ib cafi out and broken off from the Church, 
 fhall at length be brought to believe, they fhiU then partake of the fame Pri- 
 . vileges and Benefits as they have ever done that continued in it, and as they 
 ihould have 4one if ihey had fo continued, and fo alfo their Children : For 
 ver. 1 6. If the firfi Fruits be bely^ the Lump is alfo haly\ and if the Root be 
 holy, fo are the Branches. Where the Parents are in Covenant, or Church- 
 Members, fo are the Children, till they fall off through their own Unbelief. 
 So that here is no Alteration, diminiOiing or repealing of any Church-privi- 
 lege or Promife that ever did belong to the rightful Subjedls of it. 
 
 And this is further clear from the Apoffle, Rom. 1 5.8, p. Now I f^y^ that 
 Jefus Chrift wot a Minijier of the Circumcifion for the Truth of God, to con~ 
 firm the Tromifes made unto the Fathers^ and not to leffen or abolifh them : 
 And fo alfo a Saviour, through his Mercy to the Gentiles, that the Gentiles 
 might glorify God alfo for his Mercy ^ becaufe_partaking cf the fame Benefits 
 and Privileges that were confirmed unto the Jews. So that, as the Apollle 
 faith, Eph, 2. 12,13. they that were Aliens from the fpiritual Commonwealth 
 tf/Iirael, and Strangers from the Covenants of Vromfe^ and were fometime 
 afar off^ are novo in Chrtfi Jefnu made nigh. And Eph. 3. 6. the Gentiles ave 
 now FeUoW'heirs^ and of the fame Body with the believing Jews, and Partakers 
 with them of God's Promife in Chrift by the Gofpel. So that belonging to 
 the fame Church, and partaking of the fame fpiritual Promifes and Privileges, 
 thofe that did belong to the Jews, and the Jewiih Church and their Seed for- 
 merly, do likewifc belong to Chriftian Believers now, and fo in the fame Ex- 
 tent and Latitude to their Children alfo, there being no Alteration made in 
 that rcfpe6l more than in any other. As the fpiritual Seed of Abraham were 
 ever holy, and God's Covenant-People, fo were their Children i and fo it is 
 now itill with Gentile Believers and their Seed. 
 
 To this purpofe f^^eaks the Apodle concerning the Seed of Gentile Belie- 
 vers, even v-^here but one of the Parents are (uch ^ 1 Cor. 7. 14, For the 
 unbelieving Hmb^nd is fanViified by, or to the Wife s and the unbelieving Wife 
 is fan^ified by^oit to the Huband that be'iwves, to the holy Ufe o{ fuch an one 
 in the Sight of God, (for to the Pure ail things are pure) elfe were your Chil- 
 dren common or unclean^ as the reft of the World are now in thelrHcathenifm, 
 to whom therefore God hath no Regard as to his Children*, &»/-«i>ip are they ho- 
 ly relatively, and of «a Rtligiou:> Confideration before God,as feparated and de- 
 
 C dicated 
 
A ^rief Defence 
 
 dicated to God, and (o are part of his Covenant-People. It is not a Matri- 
 monial Holinefs that the Apoftle intends, or that the Children of Believers arc 
 therefore holy, becaufe they are no Batkrds i for the Children t)f Pagans arc 
 as well holy in that Refped, (that were born in Wedlock) though the Parents 
 neither of them were Believers. So that this Interpretation would make the 
 Apoftle rpeak impertinently and untruly. It is a relative or federal Holinefs 
 therefore that the Apoftle muft intend i and by this he (hews, that fuch Chil- 
 dren are of an holy Conflderation in the Sight of God, and are of the Num- 
 ber of his Holy and Covenant- People. 
 
 So that we can no' where find any DifTolution or Difcontinuance of the 
 Church- me mberfhip of Infants under the Gofpel, which they once had •, but 
 it din remains the fame as ever, and is rather more confirmed : It being the 
 fame Church, Covenant, fpiritual Privileges, and Members as ever •, and 
 thele ftill keeping "by the fame Grant, the fame Place and ftanding in the 
 Church as ever they did. And as this therefore was once the Privilege of In- 
 fants of ^^rWferfw's fpiritual Seed, to ftand in an holy Relation to God, as 
 his peculiar Covenant-People and Children j fo it is ftill. But for a further 
 Qonfirmation and clearing of this Matter, we may obferve alfo from our Sa- 
 viour Tome fuch Indications of the fame Refpe(3: had to them, in choofing, 
 calling, and e^eemingof them as ever. 
 
 To this purpofe we hidt Mar\ i o. 14. They brought young Children to 
 
 him, that he JhouU ionchthem, (or as St. Matthewhdith it, Matth. ip. 13. 
 
 that he JhoisU put his Hands on them and pray ) and his Difciples rebuked thofe 
 
 that brought them : but whenjefm faw it, he woi mnch dijpleafed, and [aid 
 
 unto thenif Suffer the Utile Children to come unto tne, ,and forbid them not^ for 
 
 of fuch ii the Kingdom of God : And he took, them up in his Arms-, put hU 
 
 Hands upon them^ and blejfed them. All which fliewcth Chrift's good Will 
 
 and Refpcct^ and dear Affe(3:ion to them, as Members of his Church, and 
 
 part of his Kingdom. And which way foever the Kingdom of God, or the 
 
 Kingdom of Heaven (as St. Matthevo exprefleth it) be here taken, which 
 
 they arc faid to be of, either for Heaven it felf, or the Church on Earth, their 
 
 Church-memberfliip in the vifible Church will hence be concludable. For 
 
 if it be meant of the Church on Earth, (as that Phrafe is often taken for that) 
 
 then it is the next and immediate Senfe of the Words of our Saviour. Or if 
 
 it be to be underftood of Heaven properly, yet then it will follow from it ; 
 
 For if the Kingdom of Heaven receive them, and they have a Portion in that, 
 
 the vifible Church on Earth then may net exclude them : For none are of the 
 
 Kingdom of.Heaven above, that are not firft of the Church on Earth : ASis 2. 
 
 47. there were daily added to the Church fuch as jhould be faved. And our 
 
 SaviomsKezConhtic, for of fuch tithe Kingdom of Heaven, flieweth, that 
 
 he meant this of fuch Infants, properly taken, and not only of Men like them 
 
 in 
 
()/ I N F A N T - B A P T I S M^ ' 
 
 in Humility : For that could be no Reafon why they ftioulrj be brought umo 
 him, becaufe others that are like them in Humility are of the Kingdom of Hea- 
 ven, unlefs they arealfoof the fame* And his pronouncing tliis as a Pvcafon 
 why they (liould be brought unto him, and his imbracing them alio in his 
 Arms, and his laying his Hands upon them and blelling them, fliewetha 
 great deal more Refped to them than what was required for the healing them 
 of any bodily Diftcmper ; for neither was this Reafon, nor all that Demon- 
 ftrationof AlTedion to them ncdful for that : when if they had not been of 
 the Kingdom of Heaven, they (hould no doubt have been healed by him, if 
 they had been brought unto him •, and when they had been brought, a Word 
 or a Touch would have effeded that, without fo much imbracing, praying, 
 and bleffing them. So that what can we conclude from all this, but a more 
 than ordinary Refped of our Saviour to little Children, as to his Members 
 and Profclytes of his Kingdom -■> and that for this Caufe he kindly treated them 
 thus, as if on purpofc, becaufe he forefaw how little Regard would be had 
 to them in this latter Age of the Church ? 
 
 And thus again, LhJ^ p. 48. He took a Child and fet him by him^ and faid 
 unto them^ Whofoever fiaH receive this (this individual Child) in my Nane^ 
 receiveth me. But how can little Children be received in Chrift's Name, if 
 they belong not vifibly to him and to his Church ? If they muft be received in 
 Chrift's Name, fo that whofocver receiveth them may be faid to receive 
 Chrift, they muft be fpiritually related to Chrlft, as thofe are that are of his 
 Body, the Church. And this receiving them into the Church muft needs be 
 the moft proper way of receiving them in Chrift's Name, as thofc that arc 
 fpiritually related to him. 
 
 By all this that hath been faid we may plainly fee the like Continuance of 
 God's gracious Refpedl to little ones, as ever, without the leaft Abatement 
 or Alteration thereof", fo that being once chofen and called, and eftcemed by 
 God as his Children and peculiar People, as well as any of the Adult are, and 
 fo being reckoned therefore as Members of his Church, and as having a Qiare in 
 the Covenant, as others, we muft conclude from thefe continued Indications 
 of his Favour and Kindnefs to them, that they ftand in the fame Fuelation to 
 him ftill, and accordingly we are fo to own ^nd receive them. 
 
 II. I now proceed to that which was in the fecond Place propofed for the 
 ftrengthning of our Argument, viz., that Infants or little Children being to 
 te owned and reckoned by us as the Chil iren of God, and Members of the 
 Churcii of Chrift, to whom the promifcd BlefEngs of the Covenant belong, 
 they are therefore to be baptized. The Rightfulnefs and Reafonablenefs of 
 which Confequence I fliall now endeavour to make out. 
 
 C 2 I. From 
 
A 'Brief Defence 
 
 ' I . From the Nature and Ends of Baptifra, which is appointed by Ghr!ft 
 to be the Ordinance of Initiation into the viiible Church, to be the Badg and 
 Chara(3:cr of the Children of God, and of thf Members of the Church of 
 Chrid, and for a folemn Dedication and Etigagement of them to the Service 
 of God, and for the fealing of the promifed BldFings to them. Now God 
 having (hewnfuch Refpedt to little Children, as to choofe and call them out 
 from the reft of the World, and to take them into his own Family, and to 
 reckon them amongft his People, together wiih others that are adult, may 
 we not reafonably infer, that when there is a vifible Badg or Ceremony ap- 
 pointed by God, by which others that are called by hiirj (hould be known and 
 diftinguilh'd from the other People of the Worlds and have the Promifcs of 
 the Covenant ccniirmed to rhem, that little Children pauaKing of the fame 
 Favour and Refped with them, (hould have the fame vilibk Badg or C5ha- 
 radcr likevv'ife put upon them, that is put upon 'the rell of his People, that 
 they may be viiibly owned and received as his, in lik<: manner with them i 
 and lb there may be Care taken about their Education in the true Religion, 
 and in the Knowiedg and Service of that God, to whom they are fo folemnly 
 dedicated ? Baptifm being a Mark or Rit.= appointed by God to this purpofe, 
 furely it is highly reafonable that Infants (hould be baptized as well as others, 
 feeing they arc chofen and called to this Dignity and Privilege of 'being the 
 Sons of God, and Members of his Church, and Partakers of the Bleflings of 
 the Covenant as well as others are. 
 
 Our Saviour appointed, that all his Difciples (hould be baptized in his 
 Name, and thereby folemnly dedicated and engaged to his Service •, Maf. 28. 
 Gd^ difciple all Nations^ haptiz,if^g them in the Name of the Father^ 6>cc. Now 
 to be Difciples or Children ot God, or of the Church of Chrifi, are all 
 Terms that are equivalent in Signification, or do mutually infer one another. 
 And therefore by the foregoing Difcourfe Children will come into the Num- 
 ber. 
 
 And when our Saviour hath appointed little Children to be brought unto 
 him, and to be received in his Name, Matth. ip. 13, 14. How can we other- 
 wife conclude but they ought to be baptized, when Baptifm is a facred Rife 
 appointed by him for fuch a folemn receivhig of thofc that do belong to him ? 
 
 And how can we better exprcfs our felves than in the Words of the Office 
 of Baptifm, that feeing our Saviour hath (hewn fuch Affcdlion to them, as 
 fo imbrace thenri in his Arms, and to lay his Hands upon them and blefs them, 
 doubt ye net therefore, hi-tt earnefily believe, that he favourably allows this cha~ 
 ritableWork^of ours in bringing Infants to his holy Baptifm? And nf when 
 they are brought to us to this End, we (hould refufe to receive them, we 
 might well look for his Difplcafure and Ccnfure, as thofe were rebuked and 
 blamed by him then that would have kept them from him. 
 
 Tl,. 
 
o/ In F A nT-B A P T I S M. 
 
 The Apoftle argues with the Jews, to bring them to be baptized, that the 
 Tromife or Covenant did belong to them^ and to their Children^ and (o alfo to 
 the Gentiles that were then afar off^ when rhey (hould be called, and fo.con- 
 fequently to their Children : j4tts 2. ^^^^p. Repent, faith he, of ynurcru' 
 cifying the Lord of Life, which niuii needs include or fuppofe a precedent 
 Faith in him ; repent for Kemijjhn of this and other Sins, which Pnali then 
 be forgiven to you, andhe ba^izedfox the fealing of this Remillion ■, and 
 ye (hall -partake of the Gift of tht Holy Ghoil; likewifefor the farther fanc'tify- 
 ingofyou, and the enabling you to ptrform what ye are calkd unto : For 
 you are God's Covenant- People, to whom the Promife is mide, and to your 
 Children likewife •, and believing Gentiks, when they ihall be called into the 
 Church, and their Children alfo: And then ^';<3' fnali partcke of j'o//!r Privi- 
 leges *, fo that as you are baptized for the Se:*!^ >^ and Conhanation of them, 
 fo (hall your Children too. This Argument fa cheai, b(;rh with re^cl: to 
 themfelves and little ones, muti needs be o* great Force. Repentance muit 
 go before in them that had thus gricvoufly inined before they could partake of 
 the Benehts of the Covenant, or have them fealed to them in Bapdfm •, but 
 upon their Repentance and Faith the Covenant is coi>Hrmed to them, and to 
 their Children likewife, and fo by Baptifm might be fealed to them and to 
 their Children alfo. 
 
 2. The Juftice and Reafonablcnefs of the Baptifm of Infants upon the 
 Grounds aforefaid, may appear from the Analogy of the Adminiftration of 
 Circumcifion to little Infants among the Jews (which was the firfl Token of 
 the Covenant that God appointed) upon the very fame Ground and Con(ide- 
 ration, as may be feen. Gen. i7»-j^ I will efiablijh my Covenant between me 
 and thee, and thy Seed after thee in their Generations^ for an everlafting Co- 
 venant^ to be a God unto thee^ and to thy Seed after thee. And -ym 9. 'thou 
 Jhalt keep my Covenant therefore^ thoH and thy Seed after thee in their Genera- 
 tions. And then follows the Infiitufion of Circumci(ion •, wr. 10, ir. 
 And ye fhallctrcumcife the Flejh of your Foreskin, and it flail be aTck^n of the 
 Cove/tant between me and yon : And he that is eight Days old fliall be circmn- 
 cifed among yoH. Becaufe God had chofen them, and taken them into Cove- 
 nant, and into a; near Relation to himfelf, as his peculiar People, fo that they 
 were thereby fcparated and di(tinguiihM from all the reft of tlie World, there- 
 fore he appointed that they (hould have Circumcifion, as a Badg and Mark of 
 . this Call and DilHndion, and for a Seal and Token of the Covenant between 
 God and them. And when God hath continued the fame Refpedl and Pri- 
 vilege to fomc Children now under the Gofpel,' and hath appointed the Or- 
 dinance of Baptifm to the fame Ends and Purpofe which all thofe that are his 
 People and called Ones (hould partake of, is it not ireafonable to infer, that 
 Children who arc calkd to the fame Privileges, and have the fame Refped 
 
 fr-om 
 
J (Brief Defence 
 
 from God, Hiould partake of Baptifm, as the common vifible Badg of hh 
 chofen and peculiar People, and as a Mark and Seal of God's Covenant now 
 as they did formerly partake of Circumcilion, which was the Token of the 
 Covenant for the time being? If Baptifm be of the fame Ufe, and to the 
 fame purpofe now as Circumcihon was tiitn, is it not a reafonible Concluli- 
 on, that Infants fliould now partake of Baptifcn to the lame end to which for- 
 mcily they did partake of Circumcifion, thrre being the fame Ground for this 
 • as there was for that, viz. God's Eledion cf thcra into the Number of his 
 peculiar Peopic, and his Covenant with them ? 
 
 For the Covenant, as we have heard, is thefame for Sabftance, both then 
 and now • and there are the fame Parties in the Covenant now as there were 
 then, as hath been proved likewife ; and Baptifm is the Seal of that Covenant 
 now which Circumcilion was a Seal of then ; and the Church is radically and 
 fundamentally the fame both then and now i and Circumcilion then, and 
 .Baptifm now, the Sacraments of Initiation info it. And what though the 
 Token be changed, as long as the Covenant, Church, Church-members and 
 Parties in it are thefame, and little Children are of the Number, itisrealb- 
 _nable fure that they (hould partake of that Mark and Token now, which is 
 for Initiation into the vifible Church, and for Conhrmation of the Covenant, 
 as they did of that which was then fo for the time being j and fo, that now 
 Children (hould be baptized, as then they were circumcifed, there being, the 
 lame Ground and Rcafon for the Adminiftration of either oi the Signs, viz', 
 their being alike Church- members, and Parties in the fame Covenant. 
 
 The Apoftic tells us, that Circumcilion was a Seal on God's Part of fpiri- 
 tual Benefits to Abraham, and fo eonfequently to all Believers then ', Rom. 4. 
 I r , And he re-ceived the Sign of CircHmcifwn^ a Seal of the Righteoafnefs of 
 the Faith. ^ which he had being yet HncircHmcifed i that he might be the Father 
 of all. them that believe^ though they be mt circumcifed, that Righteoufnefs 
 might be imputed to them alfo. JufI: as Baptifm is now of the Remiilion of 
 Sin^' and the taking olT the Guilt of Death which cleaved to it, andfoof 
 Jullihcation, which is the fame in other Terras with that R ighteouliiefs of 
 Faith then imputed to ^^j'^ib^w. 
 
 And fo Circurr.cifion was a Sign, on the Part of Abraham and his Seed, 
 of their Covenanting and Obligation to be the Lord's, and to labour after 
 the Circumcifion of the Heart, as Baptifm is now a Mark or §eal of Obliga- 
 tion to the Service of Chrift. Hence Mofes exhorts the People, Veut. 10,16. 
 CircHmcife the Foreskin of your Hearts^ and be no more fiiffnecked j as beipg 
 that which was figniiied by the outward Circumcilion. And fo the Prophet 
 Jeremy^ in like manjier, chap. 4. 4. Circnmciff yonr fehes to the Lord, and 
 take away the Foreskins of your Hearts : This being that, it feems, which the 
 Circumcilion in the Fltfii obliged them to. And for this God's Affiftance Is 
 
o/ I N F A N T-B A P T I S M. 
 
 promifed them in the fame Form of Words j Vent. 30. 6, The Lord thy GoJ 
 will eircHincife thy Hearty and the Heart of thy Seed^ to love the Lord thy 
 Cod, &c. So that Circumciiion then- was for crrcunicifing them to the Lord, 
 that is, for the Dedication of them to his Service, as their God : Jutt as Bap- 
 tifm is now, for the like lolemn Dedication and Gonfccration of them io the 
 Service of Chrift, and to depart from all the Filthinefs of Sin, and a Sign of 
 Obligation and Engagement of Chriftians to the fame. Yea the Apoftle 
 (hews, that as the chief thing in Baptifm now is not the putting away the 
 Filth of theFIefh, but the wafhing of Regeneration, which is fignificd there- 
 by •> fo the Circumciiion of the Heart was the principal thing intended in 
 Circumcifion, without which that in the outward Ceremony was of no Va- 
 lue •, Kom. 2. 28. For he u net a Jexo^ that God will accept as the Seed of 
 heWey'm^ Abraham^ which h one outwardly only in the Ceremony i neither is 
 that the acceptable CircumcifioH which is outward in the Flejh •, bnt he is a Jew^ 
 accepted by God as his Peculiar, which is one inwardly : and Circumcifion is 
 that of the Heart in the Spirit, and not in the Letter, whofe Fraife is not of 
 Men, but of Cod^ who (earcheth the Heart. 
 
 In a word, the Apoule intimates to us elfewhere, that Baptifm is now in 
 all thcfe Refpeds of the fame Ufe and Significancy with Circumcifion then 5 
 fo that what Circumcifion was then, Baptifm is now \ and there is no need of 
 Circumcifion now to thefe Ends, becaufe Baptiim doth fully fcrve to the fame 
 Ends, and therefore is enough without Circumcifion. This is the Apoiile's 
 Argument •> Col. 2. 10, 11, 12. Te are compleat in him, that is, Chrift : In 
 Vfhom alfo ye are circumcifed with the Circnmcifion made without Hands ^ in 
 fHtting of the Body of the Sins of the Flejh, by the CircHmcifion of Chrifi-> 
 and have the outward Seal thereof too in Baptiim, being buried with him in 
 Baptifm. So that you have no need now of the literal Circumcifion, having 
 both the inward Grace of it by Chrift, and the outward Seal of it like wife in 
 Baptifm, as ye had before in the literal Circumcifion. And therefore here- 
 upon the believing Jews might well be fatisfied with the Aboliftiment oT Cir- 
 cumcifion, when Bapdfm ferved to the fame Ends and Purpofes. And it is no 
 wonder therefore that the Jewifti Believers that had a right Underftanding of 
 things, acquiefced in having the Ordinance of Baptifm to the fame Ufe as 
 Circumcifion wasj and fo that they made no Debate nor Quarrel about the 
 want of an outward Sign to their Seed, becaufe they took Baptifm to be of 
 that Ufe that Circumcifion was before, which their Children likewife might 
 to the fame purpofe partake of. Whereas when Circumcifion was abolifti'd, 
 which they were fofond of, becaufe it was the Token of the Covenant be- 
 tween God and them, if Baptifm had not come in its ftead to the fame pur- 
 pofe, it would have been a ^vonder-if we (hould not have heard of many Heats 
 about the Lofs of it. And thefc things being thus ftited, furc Infants can be 
 
A Srief Defence 
 
 no more uncapablc of Baptifm now than they were of Circumcifion formcrfy, 
 but will have a juft and reafonable Right to it. • 
 
 4r I acknowledg yet that there were feme Ends in the Appointment and Ad- 
 ■rninillration of Circumcilion then, which are not common to Baptifm now, 
 viz. in refpedt of the Mcfliah, who was promifed and iovr:1-ewn thereby to 
 come into the World by Generatioii : And fo thatwj; i. Mark made upon 
 that P^rt of the Body which is inlervicnt to Generatio:: , and to that end was 
 put upon that People, of whom the Mellias was to be born, to keep them as 
 a feparate People from all other Nations, that the Pedigree of the Meflijh 
 might be the more diftindly and fecurely prefer ved. And this end of Cir- 
 cumcifion ceafing when the Melliah appeared, therefore in that Refpedl it ex- 
 pired of it felf. But yet neither of thefe, nor borh together, were the chief 
 or only Ends of Circumcifion, as is clear from what hath been difcours'd i 
 fiut wc fee likewife, it had a fpiritual Significancy and Defign to other Pur- 
 pofes •, and in thefe Rcfpeds was of the fame Ule then, cs Baptifm is now • 
 and fo they both have the fame Subjects, viz. Infants as well as grown Per- 
 fons. And we are informed, that that was abolifh'd becaufe of the Birdcn- 
 (bmnefsofit, ^iJs i^. lo. And Baptifm now fucceeds in the room, as anew 
 Inllitution to the fame fpiritual Ends, and as a more gencle Adminiiiration, 
 which would be lefs offenfive and troubiefom to the Gentile World; than thnt 
 
 . was or would have been* . - , 
 
 And as for the Apolile's Difputes again(\ Circumcifion, it Was in the Scnfe 
 that the Jews took it, as Circumcifion in the Letter only, and as a Part of the 
 Political Law of Mofes^ into which it was afterward incorporated, and from 
 the keeping of which they expeded to be juilihed before God, and that with 
 refpe(ft chiefly to its outward Performances. Againft this Senfe and Abufe of 
 it the Apoflle difcourfeth, not as it was a Sign or Token of the Abrahamical 
 Covenant, and as it was in its true End a Seal of the Gofpel-Promifes con- 
 tained in it. So that the Apoflle's Difpute againft it in thecorrupt Jewiih Scnfe, 
 doth no way enervate or invalidate that which we have faid concerning the 
 true End and principal Defign of it. And therefore it no way dclhoyeth the 
 
 .Parallel or Analogy between Baptifm and that^ in Refpeds of the Ends mcn- 
 
 * tioned. , 
 
 As for that Objedion which fomc have made againfl the Ufefulncfs of Bap- 
 tifm, in comparKbn ot Circumcifion, to Children, becaufe Baptifm is but a 
 tranfient Sign,and leaves no fignificant Impreirion behind it, to infirud Pcrfons 
 what wjS done to them in their Infancy i whereas Circumcifion is an abiding 
 Character in their FleOi, which tjiey themfelves may take notice of. I an- 
 J'wer, that in Refpcd of the Significancy of either it is all one^ for Children 
 did nomoreunderfland at that Age what was done to them, or why, than 
 Infants do now : And when they comie of Age, they could not know how 
 
 'that 
 
o/* I N F A N t-B A P T I S M. 
 
 that Mark came, or what that was intended for, but by the Inftnidlion of 
 others, whom they mull be beholden to to know the meaning of it. And 
 fo Children may know now as cvell by the Information of others, and by the 
 Pradlice thereof that they fee in the Church, both that they were baptized, 
 though they perceive no Mark of it remaining •, and alfo the End that they 
 were baptized for. And therefore where is the Difference ? 
 
 As for the Objection, that Males only were ordered by God to bear the 
 Token of the Covenant then > it doth not therefore follow by this Analogy, 
 that they only (liould bear it now, becaufe now there was no fuch Reiiraint 
 laid upon the Adminillration, but it was to belong to both Males and Fe- 
 males i and yet the Analogy in other Refpecls holds good. 
 
 3. That Infants being now, as well as formerly, owned and called by God 
 into a near Relation tohimfelf, as his Children, and Members of his Church, 
 fliould therefore be baptized, may be argued from this, that we read of tho(e 
 that were baptized upon this very Ground or Confideration, viz.. of their be- 
 ing chofen and called by God to be his People and Children, and of the 
 Church of ChriO, and partaking of his fpiritual Gifts and Bleflings. So that 
 if little Children do appear to be as much rcfpeded and called by him to the 
 fame Privileges as thofe grown Perfons that were fo, and thereupon were bap- 
 tized : then little Children, for the fame Reafon, ought to be baptized alio, 
 there being the very fame Reafon and Ground for Biptifm in them as there 
 was in grown Perfons. 
 
 Now, I fay, we (hall find, that the Reafon and Ground upon which the 
 Apoftles did adminilier Baptifm to grown Perfons, was the Evidence they had 
 of their being taken and brought.by God into the Number of his own pecu- 
 liar Covenant-People and Children, and fo partaking of his BlelTings : For 
 whenfoever they perceived any the leaft Token or Evidence of this, they pre- 
 fently adminiftred Baptifm to them, as it were for a vilible Enrollment and Ad- 
 mittance of thetti, being fo owned by God, into the Number of his People, 
 and to have a Partnerfhip in his vifible Church. 
 
 Thus when the Holy Ghoft was poured in an extraordinary manner upon 
 Ccrwf/i^ and his Company, this being a Token of God's having alike Re- 
 fpedt to them, as to the believing Jews i u^th 10. 46. Then anfwered Peter, 
 Can any one forbid Water ^ that thefe (houU not he baftiz.ed^ which have re- 
 ceived the Holy Ghofi^ oi well as we ? By this he perceived, that he was not to 
 look uponthtm any longer common or unclean, as others were that God had 
 not (hewn fuch a diltinguilhing Refpedt unto j and therefore he thought Bap- 
 tifm could not be denied unto them, whom he faw that God had by this Mark 
 Separated and (tt apart for himfelf. And in his Apology which he makes for 
 himfelf about that Matter, he expreffeth it in more general Terms, chaf, i r . 
 1 7, Forafmhch as Cod hath given them the lik^ Cift^ oi he didnnto w, wha 
 
 D *f- 
 
'Jr 'Brief Defence 
 
 hdkved en the Lwd '^efm Chrifl^ what was I that I could withflandGod ? 
 Intimating to us, that they partaking of the fame diftinguifliing Gift of God 
 as others did, whereby God's fingular Refpedt to them did appear, that they 
 fiiould partake of the fame Oidinance of Baptifm likewife with them i with- 
 out requiring of them any further Confeffion of their Faith in Chrift, that 
 beingit.felf a fuffident Evidence, that God had chofen them ir.to the Num- 
 ber of . his People -, and therefore it was rcafbnably condudedj wiihoutany 
 more ado, that they alfo fhould partake of the Tame Badg and Seal with 
 them. And yet the Giu of the Holy Ghoft, which was then poured on 
 them, vllibly confiilcd but in fome extraordinary Endowments of fpeaking 
 with Tongues, and thereby magnifying God, which the Apoftle acqui- 
 efccd in as an Evidence of God''s diftinguilhing Refpec^ to them. Now for- 
 afmuch as it alfo appears, though by other Evidence, as hath been (hewn, that 
 little Children in like .manner owned and refpedled by God, as it appears that 
 thefe were by thi^s that was extraordinary ••> How can any Man then forbid 
 V/ater, that they fliould not be baptized ? For feeing God hath given them 
 the like Gift, as he did unto them who believe in the Lord Jefus Chrifr, what 
 are we that wefhould withftand God ? If the Evidence of their Son(hip and 
 Relation to God be as certain and firm, though not in the fame way, why 
 Ihould they not then likewife be baptized for the like Reafon ? 
 
 For the Gift of the Spirit it felf was for their Admiffion or Entrance into 
 the Body or Church of Chrift, as the Apoftle fheweth i i Cor. 12.13. For 
 by one Sprit we are all baftiz.ed into one Body. And this being a Means and 
 Evidence of their Admifiion into this Body, to this therefore the Baptifm 
 with Water was annexed, as the vifible T(5ken or Ceremony thereof on the 
 Churches Part, Now forafmuch as it appears, that Children are likewife of 
 the Body of Chrift, there is the fame Reafon that they (hould be baptized as 
 well as thofe that were fo, who were by the Spirit baptized into this Body. 
 
 For it appears likewife by the Apoftlc elfewhere, that Baptifm doth belong 
 in common to all thofe that are ofChrift's Body, and upon that very Account 
 of their being fo : fo that as it doth belong to others that are of this Body, fo 
 likewife it doth to Infants, as being of the fame Body \ Efh, 4. 4. For there 
 is one Bedy^ the one holy Catholick Church of Chrift j oneSprit^ that by 
 his Gifts and Graces moves, quickens and rules it '.^ one heavenly Inheritance, 
 to the Hop of which they are called that are of this Body ; one Lord that 
 governs it h one Dod:rine of Faith for the Rule of it i one Baptifm for a fa- 
 cramental Admiffion into it j one God and Father of ally who owns and re- 
 ceives the Members thereof as his Children. So that all that are of the Bo- 
 dy of Chrift (as Children are) are to be baptized, that they may be owned 
 to be of tlie Number, and may be diftinguimd from all others that are not. 
 So that as in the Old Teftament, thofe withm the Church are cxprclfed by 
 
o/ IkF A Nt-BA P T IS M. 1 
 
 Circttmifedi and thofe without by the VnclrcHtncifed: fo by Proportion. ^^^ 
 thofe within the Church, as fome Infants are, are to be baptUed^ and fo to' 5- 3 
 be reckoned of the Church ; and they who are not baptized, to hi: accounted as £p|j^ 
 o»f of the Church. j^^. 
 
 Even Faith it felf is to bring us into the Relation of the Children of God, Jer. 
 astheApollle intimates, C/^/. 3.26. For ye are all the Children of God by '■^^^ 
 Faith in Chriji Jefm. So that we niay reafombly conclude, chat it was up- 
 on their Faith, as the Means and Evidence of their Adoption, that Believers 
 fhemfelves were baptized: And forafmuch as it appears, that little Children 
 do partake of the Divine Adoption without Faith, as well as if they had 
 Faith, there is the fan:ie Reafon for their being baptized, as there was for the 
 baptizing of thofe that did partake of the Adoption through Faith : the Rea- 
 fon why rhey were baptized being their partaking of the Adoption, of which 
 Faith was the Means and Evidence ^ and Baptifm it ielf was but for the fealing 
 of this Adoption to them, and of the Covenant that God makes with them, 
 and for the villble intitling them to the Bleffings thereof. 
 
 4. There may atleaft a probable Argument be taken for the Baptifm of 
 Infants, from the Account that we have of the baptizing of whole HouPiolds, 
 of all thofe that are fpoken of by Name, that are faid to have hadHouQiolds, 
 when once the Mafter or Miftrefs of the Family were baptized: When the 
 Mafter or Miftrefs of the Family were called and owned by God, and brought 
 into the Church, it feems that alU/;«Vj were received like wife, who did not 
 rcjed the Counfel of God againft themfelves, as Infants could not do. 
 
 It hath been obfervcd, that there are but nine in Scripture mentioned by ;f/M 
 Name to have been baptized befidcs our Saviour, viz.. Simon Magm^ the.Eu- ^^^1 
 nuch, St. Paul, Cornelius^ Lydia^ the Jailor, Crifpa-s, Gait^^ and Stepha. ^^^^ ^ 
 nm. Among thefe, whether Simon Magm had any.Houflbold is not mention- 
 ed : But the Eunuch was baptized on the Road, and fo had none there : 
 St. Vaul was not married, and it is certain had no Hnulhold where he v/as 
 baptized : And whether . 6" <«/i*f had any when he was baptized is uncertain: 
 But for all the othrr five, whok HoufhoW. are mentioned, itislikewife ex- 
 prefs'd, or may be clearly ijiferred, that tneir Houlhold? were baptized with 
 them: As Cormlim and his Houfliold, AUi 10. Z.,)'^/^ and her Houiliold, 
 Ad:s 1 6. 1 5. The Jailor and his, ver, 3 5. Crifvm and his, A^s 1 8. 8. And 
 the Houfliold of Scephanus, i Cor. 1. 1 <^. For Gud is pleafed to have Refped 
 to the Houfes of thofe that ait his, ai^ do believe in him i as cur Saviour faid 
 of Z acchetts^ Lnkc ip. 9, 7h}i Day n Salvation cometothU Hoafe. For 
 the Seed of the RighteoM is blejfed, Pf?.l. 37.2^. 
 
 Now the baptizing of whole H^ui'holds muit needs import the ^saptizing of 
 airwithin the Houfe : And it is lirange, if in all thefe Houfliolds (here fliould 
 be no Perfon under Years cfConfent to tefUfy or profefs their own Faith. 
 
8 A 'Brief Defence 
 
 And if when Abraham and his Houfhold were circumcifcd, his Infants were 
 likewife con[^prehended ^ To when thcHoufholds of all thofe Pcrfons are men- 
 tioned to be baptized, that are faid to have had Houiholds, why (hould we not 
 as well conclude that their Infants likewife were baptized with them, as being 
 comprehended in the fame Appellation? 
 
 And this need not fecm ftrange, when we find how quickly and readily the 
 A poftles baptized m^ny Perfons upon the fmallell Exprefllion of Confent to 
 the Faith of Chrift, being willing to give all kind of Encouragement to their 
 coming into the Church of Chrift, when they had the leall probable Hope of 
 their future perfilling therein ; as we fee in their baptizing Simon Magw^ and 
 the Jailor and his Houfhold the fame Night, and many thoufaiids the fame 
 Day that they firft exprefs'd their Confent. And therefore, I fay, it need 
 not feem ftrange that they fhould baptize the Infants likewife, or thofe that 
 were under the Age of Confent in thefc Houftiolds, feeing they might con- 
 ceive as fair a Probability of their embracing and profelling the Chriftian Re- 
 ligion afterwards, by Means of their Parents Care in their Education, becaufc 
 they ufc to bring up their Children in the fame Religion they profefs thcm- 
 ielves. 
 
 But for a further Confirmation of this, and of the Ufe and Practice of In- 
 fant-Baptifm in the time of our Saviour and the Apoftles, there are two con- 
 liderable Points of Hiftory taken notice of by the Learned, which will give a 
 great Light to this Matter. 
 >>•. ifi. The firft is that which is taken out of the moft authentick Records of 
 '■'•f the Jcwifh Writings, and thofe Authors that are of greateft Note among 
 ^"' them : And it is this, that even before our Saviour's time it was the manner 
 ' among the Jews to admit Profclytes into the Jewifh Church by three things, 
 im! CircHmc'ifion^ Sacrifice, and Baptifm, whatever were the Ground or Original 
 of this Cuftom, which is differently accounted for by learned Men : And 
 > Baptifm was thought fo neceflary, that though one was circumcifed, yet if he 
 • were not baptized,he was not a true Profelyte i which is delivered as a known 
 Axiom by the Gemara Babylonica. But if it were a Woman, (he muft on- 
 ly be baptized, and bring a Sacrifice : And there being a Statute among the 
 Jews, Numb. 1 5. 1 5. That one Ordinance Jhonldbe both for them/eh es, and 
 for the Stranger, or Profelyte, that fojourned among them \ therefore what they 
 did to their Profelytes, they did alio to themfelves. So that asthejewifti 
 Talmud and Gemara fay, the Jfraelites themfelves do not enter into Covenant 
 bnt by thefe three things, Circumcifion^ Baptifm and Peace-offering, And as 
 this was the Manner and Cuftom of admitting grown Profelytes, fo alfo their 
 Infant-Children, if they had any, were baptized likewife, as the Gemara 
 faith. And fo alfo Maimonides, an Author of great Account among the 
 Jews, upon condition that there was Security given for the Education of the 
 
o/ In 
 
 F A Nt-B A P T I $ M. 
 
 CliiUren in the Jcwifti Religion, that when they came to Age they might 
 not renounce it. And this their Reception of Profelytes in this way, was 
 cfteemcd among them to be a kind of Regeneration or new Birth, they being 
 brought and engaged thereby to a new Pveligion and a new Life. 
 
 Now if this be true, as the Jewifh Records do inform us, and we have no 
 Reafon to doubt of, it may feem lefs ftrange that the Baptifm of John Bap- 
 tift was fo readily complied with, and that there was no more Noifeand Scir 
 about it \ it being in it felf, for the Matter of it, no new Inftitution, but 
 what had been ufual and cultomary among them : and Johns Defign in it . 
 being only to adminifter it to a different End than before, that is, as a Ce- 
 remony demonftrative of, and engaging to Repentance, againrt the appearance 
 of the Kingdom of Mefliah i whereas it was before obferved only as an initia- 
 ting Rite into>the Jewifn Religion and Covenant. 
 
 And vthen our Saviour came and baptized, or ordered his Difciples fo to do^ 
 it was only a Tranflation of an old Cuftom to a new End, viz. to admit 
 and receive Perfons into the Religion of Meffiah^ who was now come : And 
 it being no more for ih'- Matter of it than what was done before, itfeems 
 probable that our Saviour grounded his Reproof of Nicodemm upon his Ig- 
 norance of the Cuftom of his own Nation, and the Senfe that they put upon 
 it ^ John 3. 10. Art thoH a Mafter of Ifrael, anci howefi not thefe things f 
 For that might well feem very firange, that a Perfon of his Condition (hould 
 not underftand the Phrafe of his own Nation, in which our Saviour fpake to 
 him, though including alfo more in it when he faid, Except a Man be born of 
 Water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. 
 
 But to conclude this, it having been, as we fee, the manner before among 
 the Jews, to receive the Infants of Profelytes, as well as grown Perfons, into 
 the Jewilh Church, by this Ceremony of Baptifm, unlefs our Saviour had 
 prohibited the fame to them ; how could the Apoftles otherwife underftand, 
 but when our Saviour ordered them by this Ceremony to admit Chriftian Pro- 
 felytes, they ftiould likewife receive their Infants, as the manner had been be- 
 fore in the Reception of Jewifh Profelytes among themfelves ? Which makes 
 it therefore highly credible, that it was accordingly done : For there is no 
 manner of Appearance of any Alteration made by our Saviour, as to the Sub- 
 jcds, but only as to the End and Intent of this Pradice or Cuftom, which 
 only gave it the Form of a new Inftitution. 
 
 Nor need it feem at all ftrangc that our Saviour ftiould adopt this Cuftom> 
 and Pradlice into the Chriftian Religion and Church, that was before in ufe 
 in the Jewifli, it being not in the leaft our Saviour's Defign to depart as far as 
 he could from the Jewifh Church, but rather to build as much as might be 
 with their Materials in the Eredion of the Chriftian, and to conform it after 
 their oki Platform \ as hath been fhcwn by learned Men in ieveral Inftances, 
 
 and 
 
jo A (Brief Defence 
 
 fin- and particularly In the other Sacrament of the Lord's Supper it Celf. And as 
 3P- for thofe Pvites and Culbms of the Jews which were abolifli'd, the Reafon 
 ^"'^"thereof was not merely becaufe they were Jewiih, but either becaufe they 
 s ^fi were fuch as were fuliilled in Chrift and Chriftianity, as the Antitype and Sub- 
 Di.fc. ftanceof them , or becaufe they were (uch as were inconfillent with the Na- 
 2^ ture of a n:ianly, free and univerfal Church, fuch as Chrilt intended hisftiould 
 '^•4' be, in oppofition to the Legal Pedagogy and feivile Nature of the Jewifh 
 and for the breaking down the Partition- Wall betwixt Jew and Gentilej and 
 rhe abolifhing the Enn:iity of Oidinances, that the Religion of Chrift might 
 become more pafTable among the Gentile World, to whom if it had been 
 clogged with fo many Ordinances as in the Jewifh Church, it would have be- 
 im- come odious and ridiculous. Nor yet can it be faid c're the more, that the 
 ^ Baptifm of 5^o/;», or of our Saviour, was of" Man, and not from Heaven, be- 
 g^j_ cauie it was a Jewiih Cuftom i foralmuch as the Defign of it is now changed, 
 2^^ and the Form.of a new Inftitution is ftamp'd upon the old Matter. -^ 
 
 idly. Another confiderable Point of Hiilory relati'.ig to this Matter, is with 
 refpcdt to the times after our Saviour and the Apoftles, and that is this j It 
 appears by the antient Writings of the Fathers of the Chriftian Church in the 
 next Ages, that Infant- Baptifra was then the general Practice of theChriftian 
 Church, and was fo obferved, as being derived from the Apoftles themfelvcs : 
 And there is no one Writer in any of the firft Ages of the Chriftian Church, 
 that does at all oppofe it as unlawful, or fpeak of it as a novel Pradlice i but 
 even thofe that argue againft it as Icfs convenient, yetido allow by their Dif- 
 courfe, that it was then the general Pradice of the Church, and do not in 
 the leaft contradid that^ or bring any Argument againft it, as being a new 
 Invention, which if 'it had been, had above all other Argunrreiits been moft 
 proper for their Purpofe. • " . . 
 
 us Iren^pu Biftiop of Lions^ who Jived in the next Age after the Apoftlcs, faith, 
 that Chrift came to lave all by himfelf ; Omnes inqnam^ faith he, qni per eum 
 39- renafcuntnr in Denm, Infantes^ & parvnlos & pnerosy & javtnes <& femo- 
 ra : All, I fay, that are born again to God, Infants, and little ones, and 
 Boys, and young Men and old. Which Phrafe of being born a^ain to Gc4, 
 in the Sacred and Ecclefiaftical Dialed, is but another Expreflion for Baptifm, 
 or doth certainly imply or infer it. 
 
 Tertullian^ who lived but a very little after the faid IrenxHS^ from a certain 
 Notion that he hacLof tlie Ufe and Ends of Baptifra, thoaght indeed that it 
 was more convenient to defer it : And (o he was likewife for the deferring of 
 the Baptifm of Virgins till they were married \ and gives the fame Reafon for 
 both, For fear lefi they Jhonld be tempted to renounce Chrifl after Baptifm : 
 t But then by other PafTages it appears, that he thought the Baptifm of Infants, 
 i8. as well as of others, abfolutely neceffary in cafe of extream Danger. And by 
 
• of 1 N FA N T-B A P t I S M. J 
 
 hfe^^ery Arguments againfx the Pradice of Infant-Baptifm in ordinary Cafes, 
 he flieweth, that it was then connmonly pradifed ^ and doth not produce any 
 one Argument to prove either its Unlawfuhiefs or Novelty h which if he could 
 have done, would have been a much ftronger Argument than any he hath ufed 
 to confirm his Opinion •, and was fo obvious, rharaperfon of his Learning 
 and Sagacity could not have overlook'd it ^ and which therefore being not 
 urged by him, is a manlfeft Indication, that he had no fuch Opinion of its 
 being either novel or unlawful, though for other Reafons in his lingular Opi- j 
 nion he thought better to defer it. In L' 
 
 Oriffen, who lived very little after him, fpeaks again and again of the ^otrj 
 Baptifm of little Children in that Age, and faith exprefly, that the Church ^^^ 
 hath received it m a Tradition from the /ipojfles, to give Baptifm to little jj, ^ 
 ones. ad H 
 
 St. Cyprian BiOiop of Carthage^ a very fmali time after this, was a great lib. J 
 Admirer of TertnUian^ whom he often ufed to call his Malkr. But the Evi- 3.' Pi 
 dence for Infant-Bapafm was fo clear to him, that he declares for the bapti- 
 zing of Infants, even recens nM^ thofe that were jafi: born : And there were Epifi 
 iixty fix Bifhops joined in Council with him, who agreed in the fame Opi- ^*^"| 
 nion, and fent it as their common Pvefolution to Fidm^ who thought that . 
 Baptifm ought to be deferred at kafb to the eighth Day, according to the Law 
 of Circumciiion. 
 
 In the next Age lived u4thanaftm, who again and again makes mention of Q. i 
 Infant-Baptifm, and lays a great Strefs upon it. :^""' 
 
 Much about the fame time Gregory Naz.iafiZ.en lived, v/ho though his O- ^°^'^ 
 pinion was, that where it could be fafely deferred, it was better to let it l^^j 
 alone till Children were three or four Years old, and were able to anfwer the 
 Interrogatories that then ufed to be put to thofe that were baptized ■•, yet doth Orac. 
 he vehemently urge, that in cafe of Danger they (hould be baptized in their ^^ ^ 
 Infancy, and took his Fleafon from the Circumcifion of Children at the eighth 
 Day, and from thefaving of the lirft-born in Gojheft by the Sign of the Blood 
 on the Lintel of the Door and the two Siderpoils: and faith, that though In- 
 fants he not fenfibie either of the Gain or Lofs of it, yet that it is better^ in cafe 
 of Danger^ that they be fanSiified without the Senfe ofit^ than that they be let 
 alone uninitiated and nnconfigned, 
 
 St. Chryfofiom is plain for it in the Beginning of the next Age, and faith, Horn 
 For this Caufe^ that is, beaufe there are fo many Benefits of Baptifm, we bap^ ^^°f 
 tiz^e Children though they have not Sin. Vi 
 
 And St. j^uftin fpeaks of it in many Places^ and urgeth it as an Argument Dr. v 
 againft the Pelagians^ for the Proof of Original Sin, which they denied. And mon< 
 it is very obfervable, that they in their Anfwer to him never denied the Law- j^^^^^^ 
 fuln«{s of that which he prefs'd fo upon them, nor yet the Univerfality of the ^^^^ 
 ^ Practice, p. i© 
 
• ij 1 A 'Brief "Defence 
 
 Piadice, or the Antiquity of it in the Church of God : But rather on the con- 
 trary owned it for an Apoftolical Tradition, and piadlifed it thcmfelvcs, 
 though for other Reafbns than that for which it was urged by St. y^itfiin, 
 Thcfe were very fagacious Adverfaries, and would ealily have difcovered the 
 Innovation of the Pradice, if fuch it had been, by which they might have 
 belt put oif any Argument that could fron:i it have been produced againll them. 
 ,^VOiT. Xo thefe might be added many other Te/limonies out of St. j^tnbrofe and 
 ^3pc. Sf^ Jerome in that Age 5 and alio others in the following Ages. So vain is 
 ' afTaiid. ^''^ P^ef^uce of fome Anabaptiiis, that Pofe Innocent was the Hrft that intro- 
 .,m. * duced this Pradicc into the Church. And as vain is what they produce from 
 ,,T. de II WaUfridui Strabo^ and Ludovicus f^ives, theeldert of which lived fome Ages 
 jr. par- later than the Fathers before mentioned : It is in vain, I fay, what they pro- 
 i^rum. jjy^g ^^Q^ ^j^j^ againft the Practice of it in the Church in the former Ages, 
 hiCions when we have fuch clear TelHmonies from thofe Ages for it, and when thefe 
 man- ^"^'"^'^'^5 g^^^ "'^ Proof at all of their Opinion by which the Reader may make 
 ; J, ,^ any Judgment about it. 
 
 Now from what hath been thus difcoursM about the Judgment and Pra- 
 dice of Antiquity in this Matter, fo near the Age of the ApofHes, and thata- 
 greeably to thePradiccof the Jewiih Church in their admitting of Profc- 
 lytes and their Children alfo by Baptifm, is it not a fair and reafonable Infe- 
 rence, to conclude that this was the Pradice alfo of the Apoftles between, and 
 was as old as the Churches that they planted, and was derived to the fuccceding 
 Ages from them ? For if this had been a new upflart Invention, or had been 
 I brought in by falfe Teachers, and efpecially if it had been of fuch a peftife- 
 
 rous Nature, as the Anabaptifts pretend, and had all been but profatie Tri- 
 fling and Mockery, it is not eafy to be imagined how it fliould fo early and 
 univerfally obtain in the Chriftian Church, and that it fliould not be more ve- 
 hemently oppo(ed, and the Mockery, Profanenefs and Peftilency of it difco- 
 vered, as that of other Herefies was. Had the Churches erred^ they wonld have 
 varied^ faith 'tertMllian '-, but what is one and the fame among them aH^ (as 
 this of Infant-Baptifm was) Non efi erratum fed traditum i doth not come 
 from Error but Apoftolical Tradition. And {o St. ^nftin upon this very Sub- 
 je(ff, That which the univerfal Church doth hold., and was never infiithted by 
 Councils ., but was alvoays retained in the Church., we mofl rightly believe eo havg 
 defended from nothing elfe than ^poftolical Tradition, And wch was the cafe 
 of Infant-Baptilm. 
 d. Dr. And this Cuftom and Pradlice is flill continued in the Churches of Chrift, 
 |alker'j though of feveral Denominations, unto this Day. All the Proteflant Con- 
 tEv-' ^'^'^'^"^ ^^ Helvetia^ Bohemia., Belgia., jiufpurg^ Saxony., Wittenberg., Sweve^ 
 w c. 27. '"^^^j France, and Piedmont., do univerfally give their TeOimony to it. And 
 Hiltories give us the (ame Account of the Pradice of ic among the Suffians, 
 
o/* I N F A N t-B A P T I S M." 
 
 J\dHfcovites 5 the Chrifliaiis of St. IhomAi in India \ thofe in Syria^ Cyprm^ 
 Mefofctamia^ Babylon^ Paleftine i anaongft the Cofti in Egypt ; the Abaf- 
 fins in Africa ■i the Armenians in Turky •, the Maroftites inhabiting Aleppo^ 
 DamafcHi^ Tripoly of Syria^ Cyprtu^ and Mount Libantu. And many ot 
 thefe Churches are at vaft Dilhnce one from another, and therefore can have 
 but very little Inter courfe or Comnnunication one with another. And as for rhe 
 Abajfme and Indian Churches, they feem in all Probability to be Original 
 Plantations, and not to have derived their Faith and pradice from any other 
 Chyrches •-> and yet all retain and continue the Pradice of baptizing Infants. 
 
 Thefe things one would think (hould be enough to fway with all modeft 
 Perfons : And they would learn not to prefer the new upliart Opinions of 
 thofe, who becaufe of the Smalncfs of their Number are fain to call thcmfelves 
 the little Flock.y before the univerfal confentient Pradtice of all the Churches 
 of Chrifi befides in the World. An humble Perfon (hould far more highly 
 cfieem of Godly Antiquity and the Univerfal Church, than of fuch late and 
 novel Singularity. 
 
 Objeftions a^a'mjl InfantSaptifm anfwered. 
 
 HAving thus, with all poflible convenient Brevity, endeavoured to dear 
 up and confirm the Dodrine and Pradice of Infant-Baptifm, 1 fliall 
 now confider the Objedions that ufe commonly to be raifed againft it, and 
 (hall endeavour to give them a fatisfadory Anfwer. 
 
 Objed. I. That Infant s are not capable of the Ends of Baptifm ^ that it 
 doth them no Good-^ but they are as mU withoKt it at with it^ becaufe there ii 
 no Benefit that they canreceive thereby, 
 
 Anfw, The contrary to this is moll true. For, 
 
 1 . They are capable of Baptifm, as it is an outward Badg or Mark of their 
 Relation to God, as his Children and peculiar People, and of God's gracious 
 Refped to them, and owning them for fuch ^ and fo as it b a vifible Rite oi 
 their Admiflion into the vifible Church of Chrift. This is one of the Ends 
 of Baptifm, and Infants are capable of this, becaufe for this End it may be 
 adminiftred to thofe that are meerly paflive, and do not underl^and any thing 
 of the Matter : As Infants are capable of Civil Adoption, and of being en- 
 fred into any Family, Tribe, College, or other Society, by fuch a Rite as 
 fliall be appointed for that end. And thus Infants in the Jewiih Church were 
 baptized to this end, together with their profelyted Parents, as we have kzn 
 before : and we do not find that cvei any of the ProphetSj or our Saviour, or 
 
 E the 
 
^ 'J ^rkf Defence 
 
 m the Apoftles, did find fawlt upon the Account of Infants Incapacity^ or otheri 
 
 I ■■ wife i therefore we may conclude, that they were capable of Baptifm, and ^ 
 
 '' diat their Baptifm was likewife well approved of. And fo by God's own 
 
 Appointment and Inftitution Infants were circumcifed to the aforefaid Ends 
 
 and Purpofes. And how are they uncapable then of Baptifm to the fame 
 
 Ends to which they were capable of Circumcifion ? 
 
 2. Infants are capable of Baptifm, as it is a Sign, or Note, or Seal, on 
 
 t God's or Chrirt's Part, to affure us of his gracious Favour to us, and-to con- 
 ' fign over to us the Benefits of the Covenant of Grace. Thus Infants are ca- 
 f pable of Baptifm, as it is a Mark or Seal of the RemiiTion or doing away that 
 I original Guilt and Obligation to Death, which they derived from the firft A:^ 
 I dam, and of their being brought into a new State of Regeneracion ?.nd Life 
 f by Chrifl: Jefus. And fo as it is a Seal of the Promife and Gift of the Spirit 
 r for the fandifying and renewing them hereafter ^ though for the prefcnt they 
 ^ uiiderftand nothing of it ; For it is fufficicnt alfo for this, that they be mecr- 
 ■' ly paffive in the Adminiftration. As Baptifm is to the Adult a Sign or Seal of 
 ; the Rcmiffion or wafhingaway of that original Guilt which they have from 
 Adam^ and alfo of that which they have contraded by their own adual Sin j 
 To may Baptifm be a Sign or Seal of the waQiing away of the original Guilt 
 to Infants derived from Adam^ though they have no Guilt at all of any adual 
 Sin, of their own to be remitted or waih'd away. And yet as Baptifmis a 
 Sign or Seal of the new Covenant for the Remiflion of all Sin to Believers^ 
 not only of w^hat is-paft, but alfo of what is to come, when they come to 
 rtpcnt of it, and to perform the Terms of the Gpfpel required to fuch Re- 
 miffion ;, fo may Baptifm bo to Infants-a Signor Seal of the Remidion of all 
 the a<s^aal Sin that (hall ever be committed by them, upon their future per- 
 forming of the fame Terras. And fo as Baptifm is to the Adult a Sign or 
 Seal of tiieir being brought into a new Regenerate State, and of having * 
 Right to Life by virtue of their Adoption, their Sin being done away by the 
 Blood of Chrift ^ fo may it likewife be to Infants a Sign and Seal of God's 
 gracious Favour in giving them a^l'ight to the Heavenly Inheritance. AsJn- 
 fanfJ, by virtue of any Civil Adoption, may be Heirs to a Temporal Eftatc^ 
 and are capable of any A6ls of Favcftjr from Man, andto be inflated in any 
 0/ I'V- Privileges, before they come to underhand what they are. As Tuppofc the 
 ■Ba^- King (hould fend for a Traitoi^s Child out of the Cradle, and in the Prefcnce 
 ' P'34* of feverarPerfons afTembkd for thatpurpofe, (hould fay, Tou k»ei» the Blood 
 ofthii Child u att aimed by his Father^s TrcApm^ and by Law he hath forfeit" 
 • edall Ri^ht to his Ancefiors EflateavdTitleiy and is quite undone^ . though 
 he he not fefifible of his -wretched Condition: But J :mll pardon this Infant 
 freely, and here I refiore him to alt his forfeited Bights : J jhftify him freel'fi 
 aff4dedarewyfelfrtcomMmto hitn^ and moreover do. adopt him into my 
 
 Hoyal 
 
O/ I N F A N t - B A * T 
 
 S M. 
 
 Koyal Vamily^andfb fettle part ofmyDomimons upon hinty andat a cotifirmatory 
 Sign of this my Refped unto him, I do order and command before yon all^ that 
 he be wajioed with pure Watery to fgnify that he is clean fed fom his origtnd 
 Attainder and Corruption of Bloody and that I am per fitly reconciled unto 
 him^ Who would fay that this were an inlignificant or ufelefs Sign, becaufe 
 the Child did not underftand the meaning of it ? Or who could fay that the 
 Child, who was capable of the thing fignified, vlz^. the removing the At- 
 tainder, and being vefted in a Right and Title to a noble Inheritance, fliould 
 be uncapable of the waftiing with Water for a Sign hereof ? efpecially confi- 
 dering that a bit of FicQi was appointed and ordered by God to be cut oft" by 
 ■ Circumcifion, when the Child was but eight Days old, to the fame Intent 
 andPurpofe, though he underftood as little of the meaning of that, as In- 
 fants do of the meaning of Baptifm now for this end. 
 
 3. Infants are capable of Baptifm, as it is a Mark or Sign on our parX of 
 their Dedication to God, and to the Service of Jefus Chrill, and of their en- 
 trance into, and coming under a Covenant-Engagement to be the Lord's for 
 the future, even whill^ they are under the Age of Confent, to concur hereto 
 by any bJk of their own. As Infants are capable of being entred into a 
 School or Colkge, and of wearing a Badg belonging to it, in order to futur« 
 Inrtrudion and Learning, though at prefent they underliand nothing of it. 
 And as it is ufual by Wills and Contrf.ds to bring Infants under an Obligation 
 to perform certain Conditions when they come to Age. This is plain from 
 the Covenant- Engagement, that the Seed of Abraham v;as brought under as 
 well as Abraham iiimfelf, and received the Sign of Circumcilion to conHrm 
 this at eight Days old : For that Rite laid an Obligation upon them to ob- 
 ferve all the Laws of Mofes^ though the Rite was adminiftred to them in their 
 Infancy by the kdi of their Parents, long enough before they thcmfelves came 
 to As2,e of Confent •, Gal. 5. 3. For I tejhfy to every Man that is circunjcifed, 
 that he is a Debtor to do the whole Law. Circumciilon, though primarily the 
 Rite of the Abrahamical Covenant, yet being incorporated into the Political 
 Law of MofesdMb., and fo was withal an obligatory Rite to the Obfervance 
 thereof. 
 
 Thus alfo in like manner, Dent. 2 g. 11. The little ones arc likewife faid to 
 enter into the Covenant with the Lord, and into his Oath, as well as all tlie 
 Men of ifrael. And it hatli been ever reckoned, that the Parents may lay an 
 Obligation .on the Children : as Efh. 9. 27. The J^ws ordained and tooh^ upon 
 them and upon their Seed, and upon all fuch as joined them/elves unto them^ 
 fo as it jhouldmt failthat they would keep the Feajls of Patlm. And thus 
 Hanna dedicated S<i?73«f/ to the Service of the Lord from the time of his 
 weaning, \Sam. 1.28. And Samfon was a Nazarite from the Womb, 
 f^dg, 13. 15. And the Covenant was made between t)(md and Jonathart^ 
 
A Srtef Defence 
 
 hot\\ ht thmfehes and their Seed, i Sam. 20.4^. And tlie Covenant that 
 Jofljua and the Men of Ifrael made with the Gibeonitcs, obliged all their Po- 
 fkrity. And thus, as hath been faid, all the JewlQi Infants were confecrated 
 and devoted to God by the Rite of Gircumcifion : For Children are look'd 
 upon as Parts of their Parents -, and what their Parents do for themfelves or 
 them, efpecially when they arc in their Infant-ftate, and under the Age of 
 Confent themfelves, is reafonably eftcemed as laying an Obligation upon 
 them, as if it were done by them, when the thing it felf is juft and reafona- 
 ble, and may be beneficial to them. For though we cannot lay a Burden 
 upon others without their own Confent, yet we may procure a Favour for 
 them, and oblige them to the Performance of certain Conditions for their 
 future Participation thereof, when it is for their Benefit to be fo obliged : In- 
 deed if they will, they may afterwards renounce the Obligation, but then 
 they muft renounce and quit the Benefit too » which if it be confiderable, there 
 is no wife Man that is in his Wits will ever do, but will ftand to the Obligati- 
 on under which he is brought for his own Advantage, and will efteem it a 
 great Advantage that he was brought under it. 
 
 And now is all this no Benefit? They fltall be faved without it, they will 
 fay. But what then } Is there nothing to be ever efteemcd a Benefit but Sal- 
 vation it felf alone ? Is all this that hath been faid of Infant-Bap: ifm no Be- 
 nefit'? 
 
 Is it no Benefit to be enrolled thereby into the Number of God's peculiar 
 People, to have the Mark and Badg of his Children, aiid to be reckoned 
 araongrt thofe that he hath called to a Covenant-relation to himfelf ? Is it no 
 Benefit to partake of the Rite of vifible Admiflion into the Church of Chrift > 
 Is this no Privilege ? no Benefit ? If the contrary would be a great Evil, to 
 be caft out as common and unclean amongft the reft of the World, is it nor 
 then a Benefit to have the Badg and Mark of an holy Separation to God, as the 
 People of his Adoption and Grace ? 
 
 Is it no Benefit to partake of the Mark and Seal of the Bleffings and Pro- 
 mifes of God, of the Removal of the Guilt and Death which they were liable 
 to by Adam^ and of the Promife of the Spirit for their Regeneration and San- 
 dification, whofe AflTiftance therefore, to that end, they may comfortably 
 hope for, and exped from God, as they have need of it, whether there be 
 any prefent Operation or Work of the Spirit upon them or no? And is it not 
 a Benefit to them that they have a Seal and Affurancc of the Forgivenefs of all 
 their adual Sins alfo afterwards, upon their Repentance and Return to God ? 
 As Baptifm is a Benefit to grown Perfons, as it is a Sign and Pledg both of 
 prefent and future Bltlfiiigs i fo it is alfo in the fame manner to Infants, as be- 
 ing a Seal both of all thofe Bleffings which they have need of, or do partake of 
 at prefent, and alfo of thofe which they have 01 may have need of afterwards. 
 
^ I N F A N T- B A P T I S ^r, 27 
 
 So that fuppofc they may be faved without it, yet this isaMarljorScal of 
 their Salvation if they die in their Infant- (late i and of all the Bldfmgs and 
 Privileges that belong to them now, or are to belong to them afterwards, if 
 they live according to the Terms of the Gofpel, juft intheiaine maun&ras 
 it is to grown Perfons. So that if upon tiieie Aaounts it is a Benehc to 
 grown Perfons, it is upon the fame Account alfo a Beneiit to Infants ■-, that 
 is, it is a Benefit both to one aiid the other, as far as a Sig!i, or Seal, or 
 Pledg can be a Benefit. 
 
 And laftly > Is it not a Benefit to partake of that Ordinance that is a Mark 
 01 Note of their early Confecration and pevotednels to God, and to the Ser- 
 vice of Chrift, whereby they are brought betimes into a Covenant-Engage- 
 ment to be his? For that this is fo, hath been proved y and accordingly God 
 fo looks upon them i and thereupon there is to be all Care taken about their 
 Chriflian Education, that they may be inftru^fted and brought up in the 
 Knowledg of thofe things which belong to the People and Children of God. 
 And this will be ufeful to them as an Argument to pi. vail with them to live to 
 God betimes, as they grow up, becaufe of the Oath and Covenant that they 
 are fo early entred into, and engaged in. This Conllderation indeed doth not 
 affedl them immediately, whilfUhey are in their Infant- ftate, but it may 
 come to affed them as foon as any thing elfe can that is of fucha-Nature, 
 that is, as foon as their Reafon comes to be of ufe to them : Whereas if this 
 had not been done for them betimes, there would have wanted this Aigu- 
 ment to deal with them. And it may be, it would have been very long be- 
 fore they themfelves might have been brought toconfcnt to enter into fuch an 
 Obligation, as we read it often was among many that yet were brought to 
 the ProfeflGon of the Chriflian Faith in the Primitive Times : Some flaying off Dr. vi 
 for this, fome for that carnal Reafon or Fear, for a longtime, to the great kerV j 
 Scandal of their Profeilion: Some keeping olT for fear of linning after Bup--^^^^^ 
 tifm, and fb forfeiting the Grace of it, as they thought, thereby : Some ^^^^^^ 
 from the Love of the World, and the Pleafures thereof, being loth to part Baptif 
 with their Sins and their vain Pleafures, which they were fenfible this obliged 
 them to, notwithftanding they owned themfelves Chriflians : Some again 
 deferring it out of want of Leifurc: Some pleading the Inconvenience of the 
 Time y and others, becaufethey could not have it done in the Place they de- 
 iired, or by the Perfon they mofl affeded : Some taking Exception at the 
 mix*d Company they were to be baptized with : And fome delaying it for 
 fear of Perfecution from the Heathen : And fome for fear left they (hould be 
 accounted Tritheites : Some on pretence that their Pvelations were noc pre- 
 fent : And fome hanging back becaufe of the little Charge they did ufe to be 
 at at that time». Thefe things gave Occafion to fuch vehement and (harp Ex- 
 poftulationsof the Fathers of that Age to reprove their Slackncfs,, as are to be 
 
A 'Brief Defence 
 
 found in their Writings. And how many do you think, open one or other of 
 thefe Pretences, there would be that would put it off in like manner flill, if 
 thc^ were not baptized in Infancy > and it may be fome would hardly ever 
 bring themfelves into fo near a Covtnant-Enga^tment to God at all ? Where- 
 as this being done for them fo early in their Infant- ftate, it may be a powerful 
 and prevailing Motive to engage them betimes to a fincerc and upright walk- 
 ing with God, which othirrwilc they might not probably have been brought 
 fofoon to. If it be objeded, that thli would be more apt to prevail with 
 themj if it had been their own ASh^ when they came to Age. It is plain by 
 Experience, that thofe that are ilnoere, or have any Seafe of Honour or Gra- 
 titude, among thofe that have been baptized in their Infancy, do hold them- 
 felves as much obliged by it^ and do ftand to the Obligation that they were 
 then brought under, and as faithfully difchargc it as any of thofe that are bap- 
 tized at Age, and do look upon it a great BleiTing, that they were brought 
 under fo early a Pre- engagement: And thofe that are not fincere, that are 
 baptized at Age, do as little perform or difcharge the Obligation that they 
 brought upon themfelves by an Adl of their awn, as any of thofe that were 
 baptized in Infancy. 
 
 Objedl. 2. That Infants are not capable of performifig thofe ASts J or havlncr 
 thofe Conditions that are pre-re(jHired in Script nre^ in Per fans that are to be 
 baptized. Forafmnch as they cannot learn^ or be taught., or confefs their Sins., 
 tr believe^ or repent^ or -make any vifible Profejfion of their doing fo. ' And 
 yet thefe things are required in Scripture of Per Jons that are to be baptized, 
 and were always performed by Perfons before the Apofiles did baptize any. Ac- 
 cording to thefe and the like Texts i Mark i <5. i 5, 1 6.' Go into all the World, 
 and preach the Gofpel to every Creature : he that believeth and is baptized, 
 (hall be faved. Matth. 3 . 6. They were baptized of him in Jordan^ con- 
 fefling their Sins. A^s 2.38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in 
 the Name of Jefus Chriih And ver. 41, They that gladly received his Word, 
 were baptized. AEls 8. 1 2. When they believed Philip preaching the things 
 concerningtheKingdomof God,' they were baptized, V^er. 13. Thtn Simon 
 himfelf bclie^'ed, and was baptized. ^^/^ ver. 36. The Eunuch faid. Sec 
 here is Water, what doth hinder me to be baptized ? And P^*7//) faid, If thou 
 believeil with all thine Heart, thou may ft. ABs 18. 8. And many of the Co- 
 rinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized. From thefe and fttch like 
 'Texts it is argued^ that here is a Prohibition- laid, and a Bar put againfi In- 
 fants Baptifm^ becauje \hey hiive noP^eafon or Vnder^anding about what they 
 cHght to be or d)^ and can neither hear., learn, repent, or believe, or make 
 Profejfon cf either in their Infant- fiat e^ and therefore are not capable of Bap^ 
 tifm, before the Adminifiration of which thefe things arc required and ufedto bt 
 
o/ InF A NT-B APtiS M. Jp 
 
 'jinfvp.i. That it is by vertue of that Covenant-rdation to God as his 
 People and Children, which God is pleafcd to admit Infants to, though 
 themfelves do not believe, they being the Seed or Pupils of profefs'd Believers 
 with whom this Covenant is made, and with their Seed and Family, that 
 Baptifm-is to be adminiftred to them. The Ground then which I build the 
 Baptifm of Infants upon, is God's Eledion or choofmgof them, together with 
 their believing Parents, or thofe that fhall undertake for them to be his own 
 peculiar CovenantrPeople i as like wife xheir Parents or Sufceptors are. For 
 this was always God's Method, aad the way of his Grace, to own and receive 
 the Children of his Covenant-People into the (ame Covenant with, their Fa- 
 thers, and fo to treat with them, and to feal the Covenant and Promife to 
 them, in the fan:ie manner, and by the fame Rite as he did to their Parents. 
 So that it is not the Childrens own Faith or Profeifion that qualifies them for 
 Baptifm, but it is God's Eledlion'or Choice of them for his People, though 
 they have not adual Faith or RepentajKe of their own, upon their defcend- 
 ing of fucb Parents, or being taken into fuch Families, or undertaken for by 
 fuch Perfons as ftand in a Covenant-relation to God.. And out of Refpedl to 
 them, andinProfped of that Religious Education that they (hall afterwards 
 receive from them, God is pleaied to own them for his, and to confirm hik 
 Promife and Covenant to them :. So that their Parents or Sufceptois Faith is, 
 as it were^ vicarioufly imputed to them for a while, till they come to Years, , 
 and is reckoned accordingly for their Good, though they do not yet adlually 
 believe themfelves, becaufe hereafter they are to do it through their Parents 
 Irtftrudion. As the Children of the Levites of a Month old are faid to keep 
 the Charge of the SAntluAry, Numb. 3. 28. becaufe they arsfo defigncd, and 
 are to be brought up to it, and arc in a near Ca:paclty for it. And Levi is 
 faid, afteraSenfe, to have paid Tithes m Abraham^ being in the Loins of 
 Abraham when he paid it to Mekhizedek^ Heb. 7. p. 
 
 And why ihouldihefe things be thought »nrearonable ? If God is plcafed 
 to own and adopt little ones for his, why (hould our Eye be evil, becaufe his 
 is good ? Or why rather (hould we not rejoice in his Mercy and Grace in be- 
 half of our little ones ? 
 
 ^ If Infants may contra^a Guilt, or lie under an Obligation to Death by rhfe 
 Sin of their Parents,why may it not likcwife be fuppofed through the Grace and 
 Goodnefs of God by ChriO, that they may be inverted with a Right and Ti- 
 tle to certain Privileges, and p^takeof the Mark and Seals of them through 
 the Faith of others ? So that as God. vifits the Mquity of the Fathers upon th€ 
 Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate him -^ hhz 
 may alfo j?;w Mercy to Thoafands of them that love him andk^ep his Com- Mac.g^ 
 mandments. And as fome were brought to be healed by Chriit (and were Markj 
 healed) through the. Faith, of others, fo why (hould we not think that In- John4 
 
 fants 
 
A 'Brief Defence 
 
 fants may partake of the Favour of God through Chrifl^ and of the Bad^ or 
 Sign of this Favour, with refpex^ alfo to others Faith? So that the Faith of 
 their Parents may be iaid to be their Faith, whilft they are in their Infant- 
 Hate, they being as Parts of their Parents, and having no Ufe of Power 
 Underftanding, or Will to provide for themfelves, till they come to Years of 
 Difcretion : As the Parents A6t in taking a Houfe, or making a Bargain or 
 Covenant, may be called the Child's Ad, as no kfs beneficial and oblieine 
 to the Child than to the Parent, and binding the Child to the Performance 
 of the fame Conditiolis. 
 
 And what indeed is more common than for fuch things to be required of 
 Parents before they be admitted to certain Privileges, that when they are ad- 
 mitted to, belong alike to their Children, though they could not do thofc 
 things > Thus thofc of a foreign Nation muft take the Oaths of Allegiance 
 required to a Prince, before they become his naturalized Subjects, or partake 
 of the Privileges of fuch ; but after they have taken the Oaths, and are ad- 
 mitted to the Privileges of Naturalization, their Children alfo are admitted 
 to the fame Privileges, tho\xghthey cannot take the Oaths i fo that their Pa- 
 rents A(5t is imputatively theirs, or to their Benefit or Advantage. And fo 
 why may it not like wife be here > And as thofe that are born of Parents, that 
 are admitted Into a Corporation, (hall partake of the Privileges likcwifeof 
 that Corporation, which thofe that are born of other Parents fliall not • fo, if 
 fuch be the Grace and Goodncfs of God, may the Infants of Covenant-Be- 
 lievers likewife partake of their Privileges, which the Infants of Heathens and 
 Aliens are to have no Right unto. And yet all this while the Infants under- 
 iland nothing of the Matter, but arc vefted in thefe Benefits before they come 
 to Under (landing. 
 
 2. Therefore, I fay, as to thofe things that arefaid to be pre-required to 
 Baptifm, that either they have no need of them at all in their Infant-ftafc 
 and fo may be baptized without them ; or by virtue of God's Grace and Co^ 
 venant they have the fame Benefit without them to qualify them for Baptifm 
 which others have by them, and therefore may be baptized without them! 
 though others cannot. 
 
 As for Regeneration in the moft common Scnfe of the Word, it would be 
 very rafh in any to fay, that they cannot have it in the Seed or Root of ic ; 
 For who can tell what the Operations of the Holy Spirit are, or can be upon 
 them } But though they fhould not, or could not have it in that Senfe that we 
 commonly take it, viz,, for an internal Change and Sancaitication of Heart 
 and Mind \ yet they have that which may denominate them regenerate Per- 
 fons, and fo they may be mark'd and figned as fuch, as being brought into a 
 new and faving State by the Death of Chrift, which they ihall not fail of the 
 Benefit of, un leg they fall from it by their own a(aual Rebellion afterwards. 
 
 They 
 
of iNFANt-B APT I SM.^ 
 
 They may be (aid to be delivertd from the Death of Sin, or from the pre- 
 vailing Power of that Death which Sin brought in, there being the Forgive- 
 -nefs or- PJiTolution of that Death to them : And fo they maybe faid to be 
 quickned together with Chriit, and fo to partake of a new Birth by bein.^ 
 put into a new State, wherein they have through Chril} as immediate a Right 
 and Title to Salvation, as thofe have that have been regenerate in the com- 
 mon Acceptation of the Word, And why may they not then be qualiHed 
 for the Sign or Seal hereof ? P^or how can there be any more required to qua- 
 lify for the Sign than for the Thing fignified, which they poflefs, or have a pre- 
 -fent Right to > 
 
 And though they have not Faith properly fpeaking, yet being brought in- 
 fo the fame Condition of Sonfhip, and put into as immediate Capacity for 
 Salvation, as adult Believers are through Faith, why fliould they not partake 
 of Baptifm, which is the Seal of thcfe Bleilings, as they do ? For though 
 -they have no Faith properly fpeaking, yet being by Chrift redeemed from 
 Death, and put into a State ofSonfliipand Life, as adual Believers are, though 
 without adual Faith, till adual Sin takes place, they may be numbred in re- 
 fpc(3: of the Benefits of Faith with Believers. And if Believers are baptized, to 
 feal the ^rcat Grace of Adoption to them through Faith, why (hould not 
 they likewife be baptized for the Scaling and Confirmation of the fame Grace, 
 iecing in that refpcdl they may well be reckoned with Believers, as partaking • 
 of the fame Favour with them, through the Grace and Covenant of God in 
 Chrift towards them ? For what Faith is to adult Perfons through the Cove- 
 nant and Grace of God inChrift, that the Covenant it felf is to Infants with- 
 ' out Faith. And fo what Baptifm is to adult Perfons «/jo« their Faith, that it 
 ■may be to them without Faith, through God's Covenant with them alone by 
 the Blood of Chrift. So that upon the Account hereof they may full as well 
 be baptized as thofe that do believe, becaufe they have the fame Privileges 
 without Faith as Believers have ^_)i their Faith : It being not Faith it felf, or 
 Profeffion of Faith that is to be the immediate Ground of Baptifm, but that 
 SonQiip or Relation to God, of which Faith is the Mean? or Evidence i and 
 when this can becvidenc'd without Profellion of Faith, there being no necef- 
 (Ity of that Profcffion to qualify* for Baptifm, as was (hewn before xwCor- 
 neliui and his Company. 
 
 And then as for Repentance, while they are in their Infant-ftate they have 
 no need of if, and therefore may be baptized without it •, they have no need 
 of Repentance for Sin, becaufethey have no adual Sin to repent of i and 
 therefore their want of Repentance can be no Bar to their Baptifm. To thofe 
 indeed that have acStually linned, Baptifm is a Baptifm of Ptepentance, figni- 
 fying it already to be in fome meafure, and obliging to it farther. Bat where 
 thercisnoadliialSin, there being no need of Repentance, itmaybeadmi- 
 
 F niftred 
 
'J 'Brief Defence 
 
 nlftred to them without Repentance, to oblige only to Holinefs and Purity of 
 Life, and keeping of the Commands of God, which is a greater thing than 
 Repentance, and which Repentance it fdf is for, and to lead to, in thofe that 
 have finned. Thus the Baptifmof John^ though it was a Baptifm of Ivepcii- 
 tance to others that had tinned, and to that end he mainly preach'd it, yet 
 was adminiltred to our Saviour without Repentance, becaufe he had no need 
 of Repentance, but he had peifed Holinefs, which was better than Repen- 
 tance ^ and it was to him alfo a Sign of Obligation to Holinefs, though not 
 to Repentance. So that it may be adminifired to thofe that have no Repen- 
 tance, becaufe they have no need of it in their prefent State ^ yet it may be 
 adminillred to oblige to Holinefs, and to Repentance too hereafter, when 
 they ftiall come to have ad-ual Sin. And fo it will be properly alfo to them a 
 Baptifm of Repentance, which it could no way be to our Saviour, and yet 
 was adminirtred to him i it is a Baptifm Co them, eis fwrdvomy to future 
 Repentance. 
 
 .But as for Profeffion of Faith and Holinefs, which Infants cannot make: 
 I anfwer, that the Baptifm of Infants is not for ProfeflTion of it, but for Ob- 
 ligation to it, which we have feen before they are capable of. 
 
 3. As for thofe Texts then that are urged to fhow what is prerequired of 
 Perfons that are to be baptized : , J anfwtr^ That they are fpoken of, or to 
 grown or adujt Perfons that are capable of performing thofe A<fts, and -were 
 obliged to it, as the Condition or Proof of their Adoption } and they do on- 
 ly concern them, and no other but them. And therefore they are no Bar to 
 the Baptifm of Infants, whofe Adoption or Sonfhip may otherwise be judged 
 of, without thefe hdcs. As for the Adult, we own and contend as much as 
 they that make this ObjedVion, that grown Perfons who are come to Years 
 of Difcretion, tliat had been Infidels and Unbelievers before, ought to be 
 taught, and profefs Faith and Repentance, before they be baptized \ there be- 
 ing no Judgment by the Church to be made any other way, of God's recei- 
 ving and owning them for his Children and Covenant-People. And this ^s 
 as much as thefe Scriptures do prove or hold out to us, concerning this Mat- 
 ter-, butthey are no Rule for all the Subjects of Baptifm: and as for Infants 
 they are not at all concerned in them, and therefore their Baptifm is not pro^ 
 hibited by them •, there being not the fame Qualifications required in them 
 for Baptifm, as there are in others. So that though there is a virtual Prohi- 
 bition of the Baptifm of grown Perfons, if they do not perform thefe Ads 
 firfl, here is no Prohibition of the Baptifmof Infants, though they do not 
 perform them. For the meaning of all fuch Expreflions is to be judged of 
 from the Nature and Capacity of thofe Perfons to whom they are fpoken. 
 And therefore as by the Apoftle's Words, 2 Thejf. ^.10, Ihey that witt not 
 v>Qrk.y vdther jhoHld they eat ; the Relief of lazy Drones is forbidden, that 
 
 can 
 
o/ I N F A N- 1 - B A P T I S M. 
 
 un work and yet wiUnot ; but here is no Prohibition of the Relief or Suften- 
 tatioh of InfantSj or thofe tha'tcannot work. So by thefe Texts of Scripture 
 that (hew what is required of Perfons to be baptized, impenitent Unbelievers 
 that arc come to Age, are prohibited fron:i Baptifn^i j but not Infants, there 
 being other Grrounds for their being baptized. The Baptifm of Infants in- 
 deed cannot be concluded from thefe Texts, (and whoever faid it could ? ) 
 but we have fhewn, there are other Scripture»Arguments for thcBapti(m of 
 Infants : And thefe Texts, as they fay. nothing for it, fo they fay nothing 
 againft it, either diredly or by Confequence : And therefore Infants may and 
 ought to be baptized, notwithftanding what is faid in thefe Texts. 
 
 Baptifm, as we have hc'ard, is an Ordinance. of the fame Ufe, and to the 
 fame Purpofe, for the main, as Circumcifion was, in the Refpeds mention- 
 ed. Now as Circymcition was admiiiiftrcd to different Perfons of different 
 Ages, fo may Baptifm. Circumcifion was adminiftred to Abraham as a Seal 
 of the Righteoufnefs of that Faith which he had before given Evidence, and 
 made Profeffion of \ fo is Baptifm a Seal of the fame to grown Believers now, 
 upon their Profeffion of a like Faith with Abrahams, But Circumcliioo 
 wasadminiftred to Ifaac^ and was a Seal of the fame Righteouiiiefs which he 
 fhould have, without any fuch Profeffion made by him •, and why may not 
 Baptifm then be adminiftred to Infants now, without any fuch Profeffion 
 made by them ? For Circumcifion was adminiftred to Ifaac^ as being the Son 
 oS believing Abraham^ by virtue of God's taking him into the fame Cove- 
 natit-relation with Abraham^ without any fuch Profeffion of Faith required 
 of him (which could not be) as was performed by Abraham. And why 
 may not Baptifm now be adniiniftrcd to Infants, as being the Seed of belie- 
 ving Parents, by virtue of the fame Covenant made with them as with their 
 Parents, though they cannot themfclves profefs the Faith as their Parents do ? 
 Gircumeifion and Baptifm both were adminiftred to Profelytes among the Jews, 
 after their Profeffion of the God of Abraham^ but then were likewife admi- 
 niftred to their Infants, and to the Infants of them, when they were grown up 
 and came to have Children : And why may not Baptifm be adminiftred now. 
 to the Infants of profefs'd Believers, though the Infants themfelves can make' 
 no fuch Profeffion ? ' \ 
 
 To Mark^iS. i6. I anfwer particularly, becaufe it is (b much infifted up- 
 on '-> He that heliemtk^ and u baptized^ JhaS be fakjed. From hence the Argu- 
 ment is, Ihat Faith muft gobtfore Bafiifm^ becanfe of the Order of the Wordt. 
 To which I might anfwer, that no Argument can rcafonably be taken from 
 thence itl this Matter •, for" then by the Srtie Rialff,i, according to the Order of 
 the Words in other; Scriptures, Baptifm ftiould go fir ft, before the Performance 
 of fome of thofe Ai^ts which they fay, fliould go before itt And fo this Ar- 
 gument would be^ as much*agafaift them as fortlicm. 'Xh^^s, Mark i. 5^ 
 
 F 2 Bap- 
 
A 'Brief Defence 
 
 Baptifm is placed before Confeflion of Sin, in the Relation of the Story there^ 
 of thofe that were baptized i they were baftiz.ed^ confeffing their Sim. And ^ 
 the Order of the Words in the Text that is obje(fted efpecially (as likcwifc 
 that in AEis 2. 38. concerning Repentance and Baptifin) is altogether infig- 
 nificant to the Matter in hand, be caufe here the Delign of our Saviour is not 
 to make Faith a neceflary Prerequilite to Baptifm, (as neither the Apoftles in 
 that other Place to make Repentance prerequifite to Baptifm) but Faith and 
 Baptifm, that is, theProfelTion of Faith by Baptifm, prerequifite to Salvati- 
 on. But I rather anfwer as before, that this Text is nothing to the purpofe, 
 becaufc it hath no Refpcd to Children at all, and therefore doth not exclude ■ 
 or prohibit their Baptifm : as appears by the fecondPart added by way of Op- 
 pofition. He that believeth not, Ihall be damned. For ii the Text be to be fo 
 underftood, that Infants are 10 be excluded from Baptifm becaufe they do not - 
 believe, then muft they likewife for the fame Reafon be excluded from Salva- 
 tion, which is more than they tha: urge it will own. So that this Text in- 
 deed is nothing at all to the Matter. 
 
 But what then is the De/lgn of it ? It is a DiredtionorCommifliongivctt. 
 by our Saviour to his Apoftles, to extend their Preaching to all the World, 
 which was hitherto confined within the Jewifti Territories, and fo to make 
 Proielytes among the Heathen Nations, that they alfo might be.favcd.. For 
 being in their Darknefsxxnd Infidelity before, they mufi: fiifl be taught before 
 they could be brought to believe, and fb before they could be fit for the Parti- 
 cipation of the initiating Ordinance into the Church of Chrift, which was^ 
 only to be upon thofe Terms. But this doih not in the leaft imply a Prohibi- 
 tion of the Baptifm of their Infants afterw?>rds, wiien the Parents themfelves- 
 were baptized. No more than if God (hould have fent forfh.his .Prophets in 
 the time of Law, and (hould have given them the like CommiflSon, to have - 
 profelyted all Nations by Baptifm and Circumcifion then, would have been a 
 Bar to the Circumcifion.of rk/> Iniauts, when once the Parents were by Con- 
 vcrfionto the true God brought inta a Covenant-relation to him,^ and were . 
 circumcifed. But as the Infants of fucb Parents, by the Rule and Px^ke of 
 Circumcifion before, ought to have been, circumcifed netwithfiandingfuch. 
 Commiilion j nor could the Prophets have underltood the Comniiflipn other- 
 wife, but as confident with fuch a Practice and Rule, unlefsanExceptioaof 
 Infants had been expreily put in : fo the Infants of Chrillian Believers ought - 
 to be baptized according to the general Grounds of Baptifm, notwithflanding . 
 this Commiffionof our Saviouri andthis Commiflion running in thefe Teims, 
 can by no means be juftly interpreted to contain a Prohibition of the Baptifm 
 of Children, when there are fuch Grounds for it, unlefs our Saviour had put 
 iftan exprefs Exception againft it. Nor could the Apoftles themfclves other- 
 wife underhand this Commiflion thaa as implying and comprehending the 
 
 Ron. 
 
of In 
 
 F ANT-B A PT IS M. 
 
 Baptifin of Infants, of thofc that were pro(clyted to the Faith, according to 
 the general Ufagc and Practice of the Jcwifli Church, unlefs our Saviour had 
 put in an exprefe Caveat againft it : For they could not in Reafon otherwife 
 underftand him, than according to the ordinary Cuftoms and Ufages of that 
 Church in which theyhad been bred and brought up, unlefs our Saviour had 
 otherwife made known his Mind unto them. 
 
 The fame Anfwer would fcrve for Matth. iS. ip. Goy teach aU Nations, 
 haftizJng them^ &c. To which I (hall only add, that the Fundamental Mif- 
 take of the Anabaptifts in this Cafe, feems to arife from their imagining,, 
 that our Saviour, in thefe Words, hath delivered the whole Inflitution of 
 Baptifm, and every thing that hath Relation to all the Subjects of it ; Where- 
 as this Text doth not contain the Inftitution of Baptifm at all, (for that was 
 done long before, though we have not in the Scripture a particular Account 
 when) but only contains a new Gommiffion of our Saviour to his Apoftlcs, 
 to go out to all Nations to make Chriftian Profclytes ; the Partition- wall 
 being now takendown, and no longer to confine this Favour to the Jews 
 alone. It is a Dire£iion of our Saviour only about this particular Matter-, 
 and as for all other things relatmg to Baptifm, they were to be continued ac 
 cording to former Grounds and Precedents, for any thing that appears to the 
 contrary. And ihis having been the immemorial Pradice of the Jewifli 
 Church before, in Ad million of Profclytes Children, as well as themfelvcs, 
 the Apoftlc could no otherwife reafonably underftand it, but that it ought to. 
 continue fb ftill. Nor, confidering the Grounds laid down for it, can we 
 now conceive any Bar put herein to it, unlefs the Matter had been worded 
 much otherwife than it is. And I ftiall further obfcrve after, thatthis Text 
 contains rather a good Warrant for Infant- Baptifm, if it be underftood as it 
 ought to be interpreted, than any Prohibition of it. And (o I come to the 
 nextObj[e(ftion. 
 
 Obje<5i:. 3. Ihat however Infant-Baftifm Is not commanded^ nor is there 
 Miy exprefs Ex ant fie for it in Scripture . ^nd therefore whatfoever the Vfe or 
 Benefts of Xnfant-Baptifm might be^ if it had betn commanded^ there ism 
 ffffficient Ground for itnovc^ nor ought it to be prdiifed^ andean be no better 
 than Willrworfiiip if it be> And this they think mak^s a plain Difference be- 
 tween the Reafon of circurrtciflng Infants formerfy^ and baptizing themnow^ 
 hecaufe that was comntHndedy and this is not. This is their great and trium- 
 phant Argument, and the laft Refuge of any Moment that they haveto ily to, 
 
 jinfw. I. But will nothing indeed ferve bcfides an cxprefs Command? 
 Will no Argument ? no Reafon ? no Confcquence ferve for the Evidion or 
 Proof of what we are to believe and to do, without an exprefs Declaration, 
 Commander Example? Do we not find> that our Saviour himfelf proves 
 
 the 
 
6 A Srief T>efence 
 
 the Dodrinc of the Rcfuiredion againft the Sadduccs, by Argamfent ^d 
 ,22. ConfequeiKc, only becaufe it wa^ faid, that God istheGofil'ofMyxdhim^ 
 Ifaac, and Jacob ; and becaufe he is not the God of the Dead^ kit cf the Lf^ 
 vingf And the A poftle proves by Confequeiice the Rcfurret^-ion of Chrift 
 . 29. himfelf, by a rational Dedudion from Scripture-Teftimony, which he proves 
 ^' could be unclerdood of no other but him. And in this manner 'tis ufual 
 with the ApoiUes to deduce Condufions from the Scriptures by reafoning from 
 fhem, in divers Difcourfes both in the Ads and their EpiiUes. And thus 
 ,12, our Saviour himfelf likewife argues the Lawfulnefs of the Difciples plucking 
 '. ' the Ears of Corn on the Sabbath-day, from David''s eating of the She wbread^ 
 and from the Priefts facrificing on the Sabbath, and from that Sentence in Ho* 
 9. fea^ J will have Mercy and not Sacrifice, And fo the Apoftle deduceththe 
 0. Maintenance of Gofpel-Minifters, trom the Reafonand Parallel of fome Paf- 
 fages mentioned in the Law. Yea, and do not the Anabaptifts themfclvts, 
 as well as others, make ufe of the fame confequential kind of DedudViohs foi^ 
 the proving the Ghtittian Sabbath, and Worntns Right to pairtake oi thfc 
 Lord's Supper, when there is no cxprefs Command in Scripture, in fo itlany 
 Cd.- Words, for either? And indeed the far greater part of fuch Anions, which 
 /», Men and Women perform out of Confciencc towards God, are neither in- 
 joined by any exprefs Precept, or commended by an exprefs Example iii 
 Scripture, but either by fome general Rule only, or the Analogy of fomc 
 proportional Example. So that by a diligent Ufe of our Reafon, and a clofe 
 Ingagement of our Minds to the Search of Scripture", it behoves us to inquir^ 
 diligently yito it for the Condud of our Anions, and for the Information of 
 our Minds in the Knowledg of thofe Truths which lie latent in Scripture, 
 and are often delivered to us only by feaet Infinuations, and are to be- de- 
 duced thence by juft and rational Conclufion. And how would a gfeat part 
 of the Scripture elfe in many Refpeds be wholly ufelefs to us ? And I con- 
 clude therefore, that there is no Ncceility for the Proof of Infant-Baptifm, 
 that there (hould be a plain and exprefs Command for it in Scripture \ but it 
 isfufficient, if it may be juftly and reafonably inferred by Force of Argument, 
 by the diligent Applitation of our Minds to the Coittido ation of rhofe Grounds 
 upon which it may be warranted and built. And if there be futHcient Ground 
 for it, it ought to be received, though the Reafjus for it fhould lie deeper 
 than they do, and could not be difcovered without a more narrow and accu- 
 rate lifting into the Matter. 
 
 And it is in vain to pretend, that iV doing thui Wf rejiti 4 Dhine Cotmm^ 
 for humane Confequentiei, For What Divii \t Command do we rt]tdL ? that of 
 b^ptiz.ing frofefs^d Believers? Blit do we rtjed that Command, becaufe we 
 hold that Infants maj be baptized as Well as they ? or is this only an uncertain 
 and humane Confequence ? The Ad oi Reafoning indeed is ours, in dedu- 
 
of I N F A N T-B A P t I S M. 
 
 dng the Conclufion from fuch Principles. But if the Premifcs, from which 
 the Conclufion is drawn, be certain and divine, .then fo is the Conclufion 
 which is drawn from them, if the Dedudion be duly and regularly made. 
 For the Conclufion always follows the Premifes, and is of the fame Nature 
 with rhem, as being virtually contained in them, though the bringing of it 
 to light is by Means of our Reafoning. 
 
 2. Therefore I anfwer^ and argue thus : That for which there is a fufficient 
 Warrant without an exprefs Command, may and ought to be reeceived with- 
 out an exprefs Command : but for theBaptifm of Infints ;here is a fufficient 
 Warrant without an exprefs Command i therefore it may and ought to be 
 received without it. 
 
 If the Anabaptifts deny that there is or can be any fuch fufficient Warrant 
 for Infant- Baptifm without an exprefs Command, (as no doubt they will do) 
 we muil come to the Proof of it. If we cannot make this good, then 1 ac- 
 knowledg we muft produce an exprefs Command, or elfe we mufi: give up 
 the Caule. But if we can, then there is an End of the Objection. So that 
 our Bufinefs is to come to the Trial, whether we can or cannot i and fo the 
 Objedion however is at an end. And this, I think, is a fufficient Anfwer 
 to it : And fo refer the Vindication to what is before argued. 
 
 3. But yer that I may anfwer a little more diredly, I (hall add this further, 
 that in the Grounds which 1 have laid for Infant-Baptifm, there is that which 
 is equivalent to a Command : Becaufe it is reafonable thence to conclude, that 
 it is the Mind and Will of God, that we (hould make ufe of it, (^mdthat 
 howfoever it be made known to us, is our Rule which we are to walk by J 
 For how can we conclude otherwife, when God hath been pleafed to appoint 
 a difcnminating Badg and Charadier for his People and Children, whom he 
 harli choini and called into a near Covenant-relation to himfelf from the reft 
 of the World, and hath appointed Baptifm for that purpofe now, and for 
 fuch other Ends, as little Children for the main are capable of, as well as 
 gri;wn Perfons ^ how can we otherwife conclude, I fay, but that it is the 
 Mind and Will of God, that it (hould be adminiftred to them as well as 
 others, when it is in the Nature and Ends of it accommodated to their life 
 "ami Benefit, as well as grown Perfons ^ and when a former Ordinance, which 
 was fr.r the fame Ends, was exprefly commanded to be adnyniilred to them ? 
 And when we coniider that this had been the Pradice before in the Jewifli 
 Church ro receive the Infants of Profelytes alfo by Bapufm, as we are in- 
 formed by the moft autheritick Records of that People, and the doing oi ihis 
 in the Chriftian Church is no where forbidden, how can we conclude, but 
 that it was the Mind and Will of God, that it fhould be continued fhll, 
 though 1 L gave noexpreis Command for it ? "there being no need of an ex- 
 prefs Command for the doing of that which uftd commonly tp be done, but 
 
 fox 
 
J 'Brief Defence 
 
 for the doing of that which had not been done before, viz.. the prcfelytingof 
 all Nations to the Faith of Chrift as already come, without giving any Older 
 ■about their Children, becaufe there was no Alteration made about them, as 
 the Subjeds of Baptifm, from what had been commonly obferved before. 
 And what is all this but a virtual Command, though it be not exprefsM in 
 fo many Words ? or how could the Apoltles then, or we now, otherwife 
 underftand it ? And we now much lefs, coniidering that it was the univerfal 
 Pradice of the Chriftiati Church next and immediately after the Apoftles, 
 which we cannot conceive how it (hould come to pafs, unlefs it had had its 
 Original before. 
 
 And confidering the Premifes, if the Anabaptifts will prove, that it is 
 not the Mind and Will of God that Infants now (hould be baptized, it is not 
 enough for them to alledg, that we have no exprefs Command for it, but 
 they mutt either produce an exprefs Prohibition of it, (which they do not 
 pretend to do) or elfe that which is equivalent to a Prohibition, by (hewing 
 the Abfurdity or Incongruity of it in the Nature of the thing, to the Ufe of 
 Infants, as unfit or uncapable Subjects of it. And then indeed we (hould 
 conclude as well as they, that it is contrary to the Mind and Will of God, to 
 l^ate it adminiftred to them. As we hold the baptizing bf Bells, or other 
 inanimate things amongft the Papills, or (hould hold the Baptifm of Dogs or 
 aiyy other^brute Creatures to be fo, becaufe though the Baptifm of fuch Crea- 
 tures be not exprefly forbidden, yet it is altogether incongruous in refpec^ 
 of the Nature and Ends of Bapti(m, to have it adminiftred to fuch. And 
 therefore the baptizing of them is an Abufc of Baptifm, and a grofs Super(ti- 
 tion. But when Baptifm is fo ordered and conliituted by God in the Nature 
 and Ends of it, as that Infants are capable Subjeds of it; and when there 
 are fuch other juft Grounds laid for -the Application of it to them, and no 
 Prohibition or Caveat put in, to warn us about it, we cannot but hold rather 
 that it is the Mind and Will of God, that it (hould be applied and admini- 
 ftred to them. And this I take to be equivalent to an exprefs Command. 
 
 I (hall only add this further, that it may be faid, That there is z general 
 Command, which may likewife extend to Infants, even in the general Com- 
 rhiflions Matth. 2S. ^^'HvavLn* Go, difciple aU Nations^ haptiz.ing them. 
 For Infants arc a Part of the Nations : And li Infants may be made Difciples, 
 (as that Word here tranflated teach, (hould be rendred) then as Difciples too, 
 they (hould be baptized, for all that arc Di(ciples (hould be fo. Now that 
 Infants may be Dif:iples is plain, becaufe they are fo called, A^si^. ic». 
 Why lay ye aToki upon the Nechs of the Difciples? which mu(i be under- 
 ftood of Infants as well as others *, it being the Yoke of Circumciiion that 'the 
 Apoftle there fpeaks of, which uied mo(t commonly to be adminiflred to In- 
 fants, or to them together with others $ and was called a Tokt-, becaufe of 
 
of I N F A N t-B A P T I S M. i 
 
 the Bardenfomncfs, and Painful nefs, and Bloodinefs of it. So that it is rea- 
 fonable to conclude, that Infants here are fonne of the Dilciples meant. And 
 it is no way unreafonable to call them by that Name, though they are in jio 
 prefent immediate Capacity of learning, or being taught i for it is fufficienc 
 that they be entied into Chrift's School for that purpofe, and engaged to leani 
 of him, as of their Mailer. And this they may be, and fo may be vifible ad- 
 mitted Difciplcs by Baptifm, \yi order to future teaching, though tliey are not 
 capable of prefent. As for Aliens and Infidels of grown Age, to whom tlic 
 Apoftks were fent, they muft be fiift taught before they becon.e Difciples, be- 
 caufe they can be brought to be Difciples only by their own Confent i where- 
 as Children may be entrcd inio Chrift's School without any prefent adiual 
 Confent of their own, by the Ad of others that are their Parents or Guar- 
 dians, and fo may become Difciples firii, and fo be baptized as fuch, and 
 then be taught afterwards. 
 
 Now, as for the other part of the Objeftion, viz,, the want of an exprefs 
 Example of Infant- Baptifm^ that is of lefs Moment : For an Example is of 
 Hiuch lefs Moment than a Command j and if a Command be not necelTary, 
 then much lefs is an Example necelTary. But if Infant- Baptifm may be con- 
 cluded upon the Grounds aforefaid, without an exprefs Command, then 
 much more without an exprefs Example > fo that the Anfwer to the formeE 
 Part of the Objedlion will alfo be eafily applicable here. 
 
 And indeed it is not at all ftrange, that fuch a Pradice, though then in be- 
 ing, (hould be filently pafs'd over in Scripture: Becaufe the Scripture is not 
 intended for a perfed Flegiftcr of all Fads that were done, though it be a per- 
 fed Rule of Faith and Pradice in all things necefTary to Salvation. So that 
 the thing might be done then, though the Scripture doth not mention it. 
 And it might be pafs'd over for this very Reafon, becaufe it was no new thing, 
 but was comtr^on before among the Jews, and fo there need to be lefs notice 
 taken of it s or becaufe the Apoftles and Minifters Bufinefs then was princi- 
 . pally to preach to, and convert, and fo baptize grown Peribns and Fathers ; 
 and then the Baptifm of Children followed of Courfe by the general and com- 
 mon Rule and Pradice, and therefore there was le(s notice taken particularly 
 of them. 
 
 But yet though there be no particular Example of it, it may reafbnably be 
 inferred, that it was pradifcd, becaufe there were fuch reafonable Grounds to 
 build the Pradice upon, and confidering the Pradice that had been among the 
 Jews before, of the baptizing Profelytes Infants ^ and confidering that there 
 was no Complaint amoDgft any for tiie Negled of their Infants, Jiotwith- 
 ftanding the Ceflation of Circumcifion, as it is probable there would have 
 been, if there had no other Ordinance fucceeded in the room of it, which, 
 might be applicable to Infants, becaufe then they might well think, tiiat their 
 
 G Infants 
 
"A Brief Defence 
 
 Infants by their becoming Chriftiaiis were in a worfe and more negledicd 
 Condition than before i for whereas before by Circumcifion they were dif- 
 ferenced fronn the Common and Unclean that were the Uncircumcifed, now 
 they muft be reckoned among the Uncircumcifed too, being not circumcifcd^ 
 and lb alfo common and miclean, if no other Ordinance (hould fuccecd m 
 the room of Circumciiion. So that thefe Confiderations give juft Ground to 
 infer, that it was then pradtifed, though it be not particularly mentioned. 
 ^^isf to which, that they are likely to be included in tiiofe Koufholds men- 
 tioned to be baptized j for the Houlhold contains all that is in the Houfhold, 
 and 'tis llrange if in all thofe Hculholds there (hould be bq little ones. And 
 though ihofe that heard and believed were baptized upon their own Faith^ . 
 yet it is reafouable likewife to infer, that the Infants were baptized, though 
 without a Faith of their own, as the Infants of Pro-.elytes before, by virtue of 
 God's Covenant, which, upon the Faith of their Parents, they come pre- 
 fcntly to fliare in. And then moreover the Antients delivered this as a Tra- 
 dition and Pradice derived from the Apoftlcs, as we have.feen i and there be- 
 . ing no other -^ robable Ground to ! e affigned for the Original of it ib fbon in 
 the Chriftian Church, and for the univerrai Practice of it, that did every 
 where obtain, it is faiily agreeable, that it was the Apollolical Pradt'ce be- 
 fore. 
 
 And there is as little to be faid from Scripture-Example for the baptizing of 
 PenbnsatAge, whole Parents were Ghrifiians when they were born, and 
 who ha4been educated froi'n their Childhood in the Chriftian Religion, , For 
 th-eie is not the lea!: hint in Scripture of any fuch that were baptized by the 
 ApoiUe§^ but only of thofe that were converted from Judai{m or Paganifm 
 unto Chriftianity, and that preiently after their Convcrlion. And yet the 
 Anabaptirtsdo not doubt, but that fuch were baptized, though there be no 
 exprefs Example of it., But if this Argument be good againft Infant- Bap- 
 tifm, becaufe there is no Example of it, it will be as good againrt the bapti-. 
 zing of fuch, becaufe there is as little Example of their being baptized. And. 
 fo the Argument would prove too much, and more than th^ intend ^ and 
 fo they muft turn Qiiakeis too, and deny all Baptifm now, for the fame Rea- 
 fon that they deny Lifant-Baptifm. But if to lalve this, they will argue, that 
 the Warrantablenefs oi baptizing fuch grown PerfJ^ns may fufficiently be de- 
 duced, to Scripture-Conlequence, from the Reafon and End of the Infiitu- 
 tion of Baptifm, without any fuch Example, we will allow the Argument*. 
 Bui then we murt d fire that Juftice of them, that the Pradtice of Infant- 
 Bapti(m be likewife allowed to be warrantable, for the fame Reafon, if we.v 
 can likewife deduce it by ]ui\ Confequence ftonfi fuijkient Grounds, though 
 we produce no Eiiample of it. 
 
o/lNFANt-BAPT ISM. 
 
 To conclude, there is no need of an exprefs Example, when we have fuffi- 
 cient Warrant befides without it. We muft not teach God how he muft notify 
 his Mind to us j but if he hath made known his Mind and Will to us in any 
 \vay, we are Co pradiife accordingly, whether there be Exampk or no Exam- 
 pk left of fuch a Prad:ice : The Mind and Will of God however made 
 known to us, being to be cur Rule, and not only when it is done this way or 
 that way. 
 
 Objedl. 4. That thU Is the Remfon why the Church U fo fitU of Hypocrites 
 and carnal Profejfors, and pofane Perjons. For being all alinoft are baptized 
 in their Infancy^ and thevehy admitted Chmch-Membersy they are therefore fo 
 fiiH efieemed ^ and fo the Churches of the Pedobapti(^s are overloaded with fkch 
 Perfons which defile thetr Comnnmions. 
 
 Anfw. But what ! are there no iuch Perfons to be found among thofc of the 
 other Perfwafion ? Iheartily wifh indeed, for the Honour of oui holy Mafter, 
 and the Credit of his Religion, that there were no fuch either among them or 
 us, or thofe of any other Denomination. But this is not to be expected in 
 this imperfed State of the Chriftian Church, which is as a Net caji into the Ma 
 5f<«, that receives of every kindfWhae good and bad are mix'd together ; and 47 
 fo we mult exped it will be till the End of the World, when the Angels fhall 
 come for thy and fever the Wicked from among the Jufi. But let us not blame 
 that for this, which is i;iot to be blamed. It is not to be laid to the Charge 
 o^ Biptifm either in Infancy or in Age, nor to that in Infancy more than to 
 that at Age. For if once the Baptifm of adult Perfons were the general Fa- 
 fliion, and as commonly received, and as much encouraged, as Infant- Bap- 
 tifm now is, ! doubt not but the Church would be as full of Hypocrites then, 
 and carnal Goipellers, for any thing that Baptifm at Age would do more to 
 prevent it than Infant-Baptifm now doth : For it is no great Matter to make 
 fuch a Conftilion of Faith as may ferve turn for Baptifm ■■> and if once it were 
 Mens Intcrefi: to do (o^ it would be eafily enough gone through. 
 
 fisiot (o m3iny profane Perfons^ which they fay are in the Church by reafon 
 of Infant-Baptifm^ becaufe fo many are looked upon of the Church that were 
 once baptiz.ed, and thefe are for the moji part bad. 1 anfwer^ Kov/everthat 
 be, yet Infant-Baptifm is jiot to be blamed for it, but generally it is the want 
 of Care in Parents and Godfathers about the Inftru<^ion and Education ci 
 Childien that have been baptized j and want of Difcipline in the Church, to 
 expel thofe that are profane out of it, when they once become fcan dalous in 
 it. It is not Infant-Baptifm that is to be blamed, for that is a proper Means 
 rather to make Perlbns good, and that bedmes : That will do its- Pert well if' 
 it be rightly adverted to, when they giow up to Underftanding, by Refiedi- 
 on upon it i and full as well as if Baptifm were adminiftred at Age. This 
 
A 'Brief Defence 
 
 tends to continue and help forward the Conveyance of Religion down to 
 after-Generations, by laying a ftrid Engagement upon Children to be goad 
 betimes, and upon Parents to educate them and bring them up wcllin order 
 to it i fo that there might be ftill a young Nurfery of fender Plants growing 
 up in the Vineyard of the Lord. And to fay othcrwife, is a Rcfledlion upon 
 the Wifdora of the Jewifti Church, in admitting the Children of Profelytcs, 
 together with their Parents, yea and of the Wifdom of the holy God him- 
 felf, (who loves the Purity and Glory of the Church certainly more than any 
 of us can do, and knoweth beft what moft tends to further it) who himfelf 
 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 til! all had come to Age. And the fame Cenfure will lie upon the Jew- 
 ifh Church for admitting of Members then in their Infant-ftate, as much as 
 it can now upon the Churches of the Pcdobaptifts. But let not us go to 
 teach God, or inftrudthim what Means are beft to promote the Churches Pu- 
 rity. Icanmake nodoubt butlnfant-Baptifra isas great an Advantage to 
 the Church now, as Infant-Circumcifionwas then in all the fpiritual Rcfpc(3:s 
 of it, or as the Baptifm then of Profelytes Infants was. 
 
 But if there be other Ordinances and Duties neglcdled, which God hath 
 appointed j which (hould be for the procuring of a pure Church, or for the 
 cleaning of it when it is impure, it is the Neglet^ of thofe Ordinances and 
 Duties, that is the true Reafon of that Impurity in the Church, and not the 
 keeping up of thM Ordinance, which rather helps towards its Purification, as 
 well as admits into the Communion of it. They of the other way, when 
 profane Perfons are at any time found among them, don't blame their Bap- 
 tifm at Age for if, as if that were the Reafon of their Badnefs, which would 
 rather tend to make them good : and if rhefe Perfons continue Ml in their 
 Church, no doubt it is the Churches Negle(3:, and not the Fault of their 
 Baptifm. And fo if profane Perfons be found in the Church, wherein the 
 Members arc admitted by Infant- Baptifm, let not Infant-Baptifm be blamed 
 for that, but the Negledt of thofe other Ordinances and Duties that Ihould 
 tend to promote the Churches Purity. 
 
 ObjecSt. 5. Why may not the Lcrd^j Supper he adminifired to Infants as welt 
 M Baptifm, that being as weH a Seal of the Covenant at Baptifm is^ and wat 
 likexvife adminifired to them in fame of the firfi Ages of the Church ? 
 
 j4nfw. If the Lord's Supper (hould be adminiftied to Infants, it could b« 
 of no other Ufe to them than Baptifm is, viz.. to be a vifible Badg or Mark 
 of their being owned and received by us as the Children of God, and Mem- 
 bers of the Church of Chrift, and a Seal of the Bleffings of the Covenant, 
 and of their Communion therein. Thcfc things are fufficiently confixmcd to 
 
(?/ I N F A N T-B A r T I S M. 
 
 them by the Ordinance of Baptifm •, and the Ordinance of the Lord's-Supper 
 could be of no further ufe to them than what this comes to. And therefore the 
 Adminiftration of the LordVSupper to them would be fupervacaneous and 
 needlcfi, becaufe it can do no more for them than Baptifiii doth. 
 
 Nor is the Ordinance of the Lord's-^Supper fo fit and proper to be adrai^ 
 nlftred to them for the Ends aforeiaid, as Baptifm is : Becaufe Baptifm is a 
 Sacrament or Ordinance particularly detlgned or appointed for this purpofe, 
 to be for their vifible Jnitiation or hftion into the Church of Chrift, and is 
 therefore to be adminiftred to all the Members of it, as a Token or Sign of 
 their being the Children of God, and Members of Chri/i •> and fo to feal to 
 them the Bleffings of the Covenant, and to engage them on their part to 
 the performance of the Conditions. And Infants being capable r^ all thefe 
 Ends and Ufes of it, which are the chief Ends of Baptifm, it is therefore 
 proper and fit to be adminifired to them. Whereas the Lord's-Supper is a 
 Sacrament of Growth or Verfe^ion^ for the flrengthening ana refrelhing of 
 our Souls, and for our Growth and Progrefs in Grace ^ which is promoted 
 and furthered by an A<9: of Reflection on our parts upon the Death of Chrift, 
 and the Benefits that he hath purchafed thereby •, and is to be a thankiul Me- 
 morial, or for folemn Thankfgiving to Chrift for this great Grace and Love 
 of his, that he hath manifefted to us in his dying for us, and thereby pur= 
 chafing-and obtaining fo great Benefits for us : This being the chief End of 
 that Inftitution, as appears by our Saviour's own words. Do this in Kemem- 
 hrance of me. Now all this requires great Knowledg and Coniideration, and 
 pious Refledtions upon what we are about, which Infants are uncapable of. 
 
 Nor is there the like Scripture-ground for the Adminiftration of the Lord's- 
 Supper to Infants, as we have feen there is for Baptifm : Nor is there th# 
 fame Parallel of it, or Pattern for it from the Pradice of the Jewi(h Church,. 
 as there is for Infant-Baptifm, in their Adminiftration of Circumcijion to In- 
 fants for a Token of the Covenant betwixt God and them i and like wife in 
 their baptizing the Infants of Profelyfes. Whereas the Children of the Jews 
 were not admitted to the Paflbver, which is that other Jewifh Ordinance, 
 which may feem to anfwer moft to the Chriftian Eucharifl^ till they were old 
 enough to enquire about the meaning of the Service, and were capable of 
 underftanding the Nature of it, as it was done in Remembrance of their De- 
 liverance out of Egyft i Exod. 12. 26,27. And fo, agreeably to this there- 
 fore, neither (liould the Children of Chriftlans communicate at the Lord's- 
 Supper, till they are capable likewife of underftanding the Nature and Ends 
 of it ^ as it is a Sacrificial Feafi in Remembrance of Chrift's Death and Palli- 
 on, and of our Deliverance from Sin and Death, which we have thereby. 
 And this indeed may well require more Years over their Heads, before Chil- 
 dren will be capable to come to the Underftanding thereof, than what might 
 
^^ A (Brkf Defence 
 
 cs^pacitate the Jewifli Children for the underftandipg the nature of the PaiT- 
 
 overj becaufe that Mylkry is gveater i but this is mecrly accidental. But as 
 
 foon as our Childien are capable of underiUnding the Deflgn of this holy 
 
 I Communion, and of performing thofe Ads that are required with lefped 
 
 I unto if, we hold it their Duty likewife to participate in it. 
 
 rj^^ And then as for the Practice of Infant-Communion in the Ghriftian 
 g{p/' Church, we have not near the like Evidence of the Pradice of it froiu Anti- 
 the quity, either as to the Antientnefs, or the Generality of the Pradice of it, as we 
 Ififion, have for that of Infant- Baptifm. There being none of the molt antient Writers, 
 Irefjeus, Oripn^ TertHtlian^ that fpeak any thing of it, as they do of infant- 
 Baptifm, and Origen particularly, as a Curtom or Tradition derived from the 
 Apoftlesi nor near fo many in the following Ages mentioning it, as there do 
 Infant- Baptifm. And many of thofe that owned the NeceflSty of Infant- 
 Baptiim, as the Pelagians^ yet never owned the Neceffity of Infant-Com- 
 munion. And as for the Pradice of Infant-Communion therefore, the 
 Weilern Churches have long ago relinquiih'd it, as apprehending it to be a 
 Miftake, grounded neither upon any Text of Scripture, nor Apoltolical Tra- 
 dition, and being in the Nature and Defign of it improper for Infants i but 
 yet have ftill retained Infant-Baptifm, as being in all refpeds well grounded, 
 and moft aptly to be accomodated to them. 
 
 It was an eafy and cliaritable Slip which the Ancient Church was fuffered to 
 fall into amongil other things, to give the Lord's- Supper to Infants, (as they 
 ufed to do to grown Perfons prefenrly after their Baptifm ), that they might 
 partake of all the vifible Seals of Divine Grace and Favour. Rather than 
 deprive them of any, they would give them all. This, tho a Miihke, yet 
 was a Matter of no dangerous Confcquence in Religion ^ as the Anabaptifts 
 pretend that of Iiifant-Baptifm to be in the higheft degree, as introducing a 
 meer Mock-Chri/lianity, and a Mock-Church and Miniihy into the World. 
 Now it is not imaginabU-, that God fhould fuffer fuch a Church-deftroying 
 Corruption fo early to prevail in that Church that was fo famous for Miracles, 
 Martyrdom, and true unaffeded Holinefs as the Antient Church was. But 
 for fuch a harmlefs and innocent Miflake as that of Infant-Communion, it is 
 no ftrange thing that their Charity fnould a little be let alone to ovcr-biafs 
 their Judgment. And I (liould much rather clioofe to join with them in their 
 Charity, than vvith thefc Ditri Patres Infanttmii that arc (o unkind to deny 
 that to Infants, which God hath been.pleafed in his great Grace and Kind- 
 ne(s fo freely to vouchfafe unto them,- and to in(lat«^;thera in. 
 
Jn/^ 
 
 o/* I N F A Kf 'I'- B A P T I S M. 
 
 The CONCLUSION. 
 
 THus have I endeavoured, with all convenient Brevity, and I hope with 
 PerfpicLiity, to manage the Argmnent 1 have taken in hand ; And I do 
 not know, that I have balk'd any .cor« nderable Argument or Objection, that 
 fecm'd to me to be of any force againft it. And f have defircd to follow the 
 Apoftle's Direction, tofpeakjhe Truth in Lovc^ v/ithout any bitter Reflexion 
 upon the contrary- minded ^ whom", notvaihlUuding their Difftnt,.! (hall re- 
 fytdi as Brethrcu. But as for the way that they have taken up, confidering 
 what I have faic' in Defence of our own, I can no otherwife efteem of it than 
 as a very culpable Schifm. If the Denial of. Infant-Baptifm had been a fimr 
 pie Error, I fhould have lefs ccncerned my fclf about it. But when there is 
 fuch a Train of difmal Confequences following at the heels of it, as the un- 
 churching all Churches that are not of the like Communion, and the denial 
 of all Othei Miniftry and Ordinances befides their own, which muft needs 
 naturally be accompanied with many fierce Animoilties and unbrotherly Con- 
 tentions,, to, the deftroyingof Chriftian Love and Peace 5 it I'eems to me ta 
 !ook with a frightful Afped:. Therefore- they muli cxcufe me, if out of a 
 Love to Truth and Peace, I have endeavoured to redify the Miftaken Judg- 
 ment of thofc that have gone aftray, and to fettle thofe that have need of 
 Eftabliftiment in the way of Catholick Verity, Love and Union. 
 
 But that the Dodtrine which I have defended, may be more effedually vin^ 
 dicated from that Contempt and Scorn Uiat is poured upon it by thofe of the 
 contrary Perfwaiion, it is our part to make that good and holy Improvement 
 of the Baptifm that we have received, as is futablc to the Nature of it. And 
 yen that are Parents^ and Godfathers and Godmfithers, pray confider your 
 Charge and Truft that is committed to you, and remember, as it is excellent- 
 ly cxpreft in the Exliortation after Publick Baptifm, That it ii ymr Parts a-nd 
 Duties to fee that the Children be tmght, fo foon as they Jljall be able to lea; n^ 
 tohat a folemnVovo^ Trornife and Prof jfion they have made by yon: And that 
 they may knew thefe things the better, to caH upon them to hear Sermons, and pro- 
 vide that they may learn the Creed, the Lcrd's-Prayer, and the Ten Command- 
 ments^ and all other things which a Chrtfitan ought to k^ow and believe to hi^- 
 SouPs Health \ and that they may be vertuonfly broHght up to lead a Godly r 
 Aird a Chriftian Life. It is the Carelefnefs of Parents and Godfathers about 
 the Education of Children, and their Negled to inforceupon them their 
 Baptifmal Obligations,, that hath been one great Caufe of Offence, thatthofe 
 
 of . 
 
A 15mf Defence 
 
 o{ the contrary Perfwafioii have taken againft Infant-Baptifm. For what 
 wonder 55 it, if that be counted a Nullity^ that there is lb Jictle good uf? 
 nr.dcof? And to what purpoCe is the fprinkling or wa(hing Children with 
 Water, if there be no care taken to inftil into ihem, and to bring them up 
 to ihit Chriftian Purity in Heart and Life, that is iignified thereby ? They are 
 bound indeed afterwards however, when they come to Undculanding, to re- 
 lied: upon the Obligations that in their Infancy they were brought under ; 
 But there can be httle Expe6i:ation ordinarily, as we lee by fad Experience, 
 that ever they w/Y/doit, if their Education and Inftrudion be negtcded'ia 
 tlicir younger Years. Indeed it is to be doubted, that the Baptifm of Infants 
 with many is turned into a mecr Formality : And the Charge that is fo fb- 
 lemnly and particularly undertaken by Godfathers and Godmothers, is never 
 thought of afterwards to any purpofe. But many Parents think that they do 
 their Duty fufficiently, if they bring up their Children to fome Art or Trade, 
 or provide Portions and Eftatcs for them, whereby they may be able to live 
 in the World : And Godfathers and Godmothers, if they do but give them 
 fomething, as a Token of their Rcfped in fome fmall Gift. But that they 
 may be brought to lead a truly Chiiftian Life, that they may deny Ungodli- 
 nefs and Worldly Lulls, and live Godly, Righteoufly and Soberly in this pre- 
 fent evil World, which is the great End of Baptifm, Ordinances, GofpeJ, 
 and Life it felf : How little is that refledcdupon by many, as if it were none 
 at all of their Concern and Duty ? A right pradical Improvement of our Infant- 
 Baptiftn by our felves, and a Religious Care taken in the Education of our 
 Children futably to the Obligations thereof, will be a better Vindication of 
 the Ufefulnefs of Infant-Baptifm, than all the Arguments that can otherwife 
 be brought for it, ( tho never fo good ) which will feem all but Noife and 
 Sound to many, unlefs the Practical Influence and Power of it be made more 
 to appear in real Benefit and Fruit. • 
 
 Novo the God of Peace^ which brought again from the Dead our Lordjefm 
 Chrifl, that great Shepherd of the Sheep, through the Blood of the ever- 
 lading Covei^ant^ make us perfect in every good Work to do his WiB^ 
 working in us that which is vpell pleafing in his fight^ thYongh Jefhs Chrip •, 
 to whom be Glory for ever and ever. Amen. 
 
 A N 
 
A N 
 
 APPENDIX; 
 
 Wherein is fhewed> 
 
 That it is not necejfary to bapi^e by Dipfing. 
 
 HAving difpatch'd the Controverfy of Infant-Baptifui, I (hall here add 
 a few Words of the Manner of Ad mininration of Baptifm ^ and 
 (hew. That it is not ncceflary, that Baptifm (hould be adnahiiikcd 
 by Dipping, or Plunging, or Dowzing into the Water. 
 
 If it be neceflary that Baptifm (hould be always adminiftred by Dipping, 
 this Necellity mu(l arife from the Will and Intention of our Saviour fome 
 way declared to us in the In(iiiution of Baptifm, or in the Adminiiiration of 
 it left to us in Scripture. And there mad be fome Notices or Evidences, by 
 which this Intention or Will of our Saviour may be made manife(t to us i 
 from which we may neccffarily infer, or conclude, that this particular Form 
 of Admini(iration is dcterminately prefcribcd by him. And this, I think, can 
 be colleded no other wile, but by one or other, or all of thefe three ways, viz. 
 Either from the Ufe and Signification of the Words, by which this Ordi- 
 nance is exprefs'd > or from the Examples of the Adminiftration of it, that 
 are left us in Scripture •, or from the Nature and Ends of the Ordinance it 
 felf. And if it cannot be neccffarily inferred from all, or either of thefe 
 Confiderations, that it was our Saviour's Will and Intention, that Baptifm 
 (hould always be admini(tred by Dipping-, then, I fuppofe, it will be allowed, 
 that Dipping is not effential to Baptifm. Now I (hall endeavour to prove,, 
 that it cannot be neccffarily inferred any of theic ways. 
 
 I. Not from the Ufc or Signification of the word Baptize, which is not 
 ufed to fignify Dipping, but wa(hii)g or clcanfing by Water, which way foever 
 it be. For, 
 
 ifi. It is to be obferved, That whenever the Holy Ghoft in the New Te- 
 ftamcnt bath occafion to mention the Ad of Dipping, it is acver cxpreffed 
 
 H bf. 
 
[ J<P <P E N T) 1 X. 
 
 ir- by this word that fignifieth to Baptize, but by another, which we have but . 
 
 '*^ four times in the New Teftamenf, 'viz. Luk. 1 6. 24. Joh. 13. 2d. Mm. 16, 
 23. Kev. I p. 13. But whenever the Adl of Baptizing is expreft^ it is always 
 
 '«- expreft by another word, and not by that which is commonly ulcd to ex- 
 
 '» prcfs the Ad of Dipping. From whence we may probably infer a difference 
 in the Signifjcation, not a Samenefs : For if they were both of the fame 
 
 " Importance or Signification, it is moQ likely that they would be ufed pro- 
 mifcuoufly. 
 
 2dly. I fay the word Bapliz^e., or Baptifm, is often ufed to fignify any 
 kind of W2(hing or cleanfing by Water, by the Application of VVater any 
 way to the Thing, and not only by dipping of it into Water ■■> which in lome 
 cafes was not cuitomary, nor likely. As when it is faid, Markj]. 4. The 
 
 « Thar i fees eat not, except they wafh : In the Greek it is. Except they be baftizeei* 
 
 "' And Lnke 1 1.38. the Pharifees rnarvellecl, that our Saviour had Not firji wafhed 
 before Dinner : In the Greek likewife it is, that he ivoi not frfi baptized. 
 
 ' Now the manner of wafhing in that cafe feems ufually to have been by Afper- 
 (lon of Water on the Hands : And therefore this is to exprefs the Office of a 
 . Servant to his Mafler •, 2 Khi^s 3. 1 1. Eliftia poured Water on the Hands of 
 Elijah. And the fame word is ufed to exprefs their frequent Ceremo- . 
 . nial Waihing of "Beds or Tables \ as likewife it is in that Text, Mark 7. 4. 
 In the Original it is, the Baptifm of thefe things. And it is no way . 
 likely, that this (liould be ordinarily done by Tmncicrtion, or putting them all 
 into, or under Water, but rather by pouring Water upon them, and thereby 
 to cleanfe them. And Heb. 9. i o. we read of divers If^afhings that they 
 
 i^ had : In the Greek divers Baptif^s^ many of which were Sprinklings. 
 Therefore there can be no Argument for Dipping, &c. folidly grounded 
 upon, the bare Signification of the word Baptiz,e, becaufe that is uCtd to fig- 
 nify any kind of ' Wafhing without Dipping as well as by it. 
 
 ^dly. It is fomctimes to be obferved, that the A6t of Baptizing is fo ex- 
 preft, that it would be very uncouth and improper to underltand it of 
 Dipping : As when it is expieil: by baptizing with Water,^ not by baptizing 
 into Water, or under Water : as Luke 3. id. / indeed bapttz.e yon with Water, 
 
 j " And fo Acts 1 1 . 1 6. it would be very uncouth and improper to fay, that a 
 Manisdipp'd b?<>^ Water. 
 
 ; ^thly. Again •, this fame word that is ufed to exprefs Water-Baptifm, or 
 baptizing with Wnter, is in like manner ufed to exprefs Chrift's baptizing 
 xo'uh the Holy Ghoft and with Fire •, as in that fame Text, Luke 3. 16, Now 
 that cannot be fo underftood, that Chrift (hould dip or dowz^e Men into the 
 Holy Glioft j but the ufual way of Exprtffion is, that the Holy Ghoft with his 
 Gifts and Graces was poured upon them : thus AU.2, 1 7, 1 8. / will pour out in 
 
 _ thofe days of my Spirit upon thfm. And A^s i o. 45. On tht Gentiles dfo was 
 
A (P <P E N D I X. 
 
 fonred out the Gift of the Holy Ghofl. And Tit. 5. 6, The renemttg of the 
 Holy GhoB^ which is Jlsed^ or poured oh us ahnndamly. And why (liou^ j 
 we not uiiderlknd the baptizing mth Water, in Proportion and Similitude i 
 to this ? So that I can fee no reafon to conclude, that it was our Saviour's 
 Will and Intention, that Baptifm (hould always be by Dipping, from the 
 Ufe or Signification of the Word. 
 
 II. It cannot be necelTarily inferr'd or concluded from the Examples of 
 Perfons being baptized, that are mentioned in Scripture. For in thofe Ex- 
 amples that feem to be moft exptefs for Dipping, the moft that can be con- 
 cluded, is only a bare Probability of it. And in Ibme it is highly improbable, 
 and the Probability is rather on the other fide. And if it could be demon- 
 ftratlvely and fatisfadorily made out by Scripture-Exa'mples, that the uflial * 
 way of Adminiilration of Baptifm then was by Dipping, yet that would lay 
 no neccffary Obligation upon us to the like. 
 
 I. I fay, that in thofc Examples, which feem to be moft exprefs for Dip- 
 ping, and therefore are moft commonly urged for the Proof of it, there is at 
 moli but a bare Probability of it, and hardly that in fome i but there is no 
 demonftrative Proof can be made from any of them, either from the exprefs 
 Words or Story of thofe Examples, or by juft Confequence from them. 
 There are three Texts of Scripture that are ufually urged to this purpofe. I 
 ftiall conlidcr them feverally. 
 
 The firfl is Mat. 3. 13, i<^. which fets forth the Baptifm of our Saviour 
 by John B4ptifl at Jordan: For ver, 16. jefns^ when he was baptized^ went 
 hp ftraightway ont of the Water. But what then? Can it be necelTarily in- 
 ferr'd from hence, that he was dipp'd in it, or under it? If he went into 
 it, (as the manner ufually was in that Country, to wafli their Feet, that were 
 dirty or foul with travelling ) and io there was baptized •, yet was there no 
 way to have this done, but by Dipping ? But indeed this Text, if rightly 
 interpreted, dpth not fo much as prove, that our Savjour went into the 
 Water at all. For in the Greek . it. is only, avejiH ocin tS UtTotfo^, he came 
 up from the Water, not oHt oT !t» And fo he might be very well laid to do, 
 if he only went to the fide or brink : There being fome little Afcent at leaft 
 from the Water to the dry Ground. But however, there is no determinate 
 manner of our Saviour's Baptifin in it expreft, nor can be necelTarily or de-. 
 monftratively inferr'd. And therefore at moft that particular Form, which 
 the Anabaptills infilt.upx)n, is but a meer Probability. 
 
 Another Texf that is urged, is Joh.^.2^. Jh/ir John .was baptiung in 
 Enon near to Salim, i'cc/ii^yff there was much Water there. And bccaule of the 
 numbers of thofe that went to John to be b4ptized,it was moft convenient that 
 it {houU t^ in fuch Places where there was Plenty of Water. But can any 
 
A <P <P E N D I X. 
 
 one prove hcncc,that they were baptized by dipping into it, or under it ? Is 
 this any thing more than a Conjedture ? the he baptized there, where there was 
 much Water, yet the manner of baptizing there is not dated or determined. 
 So that this which is fo much inillkd upon, at moft from hence, is but a 
 Conje(3:ural Probability '■> and therefore can be no matter of Faith, nor can 
 lay any Obligation upon Pradicc. For befides, in that place it is nor faid, 
 that tiiere was much Water together ; but Tr^KKa. xi^TtL^mmyWaten^ that 
 is, many Streams or Rivolcts, which were not very common generally ia 
 that Country. And thus there might be, tho there were not Water of a 
 fufficient Depth to dip a Man in if. But let that be how it will, there is no 
 determinate Manner cxpreft, or to be certainly and evidently concluded, as 
 ought to have been to build a Confequencc of fuch a Nature upon, as to iSfcr 
 an Obligation to fuch a determinate Manner. 
 
 Laftly, that of AB:s 8. 3<^. ufeth to be infilled upon, concerning the Bap- 
 tifmof the Eunuch by Vhili^. Forv^r. 38. it is (aid, Thtywcm dwnifth 
 into the Water^ ^of^ Philip and the Eunuch^ and he baftiz.ed him: and when 
 they were come up out of the Water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. 
 Yet neither here is the particular Manner of the Adminiliratlon expreii, nor 
 yet to be certainly colledted. It is no ftrangc thing, that they did go down 
 into the Water in that warm Country ; that they might do, and yet Fhilif 
 not dip the Eunuch in it, but take up Water with his Hand to pour it upon 
 him. And yet the words in the Original may be as conveniently interpreted^ 
 that they both went down to the Water, ( as the Eunuch was journying upon 
 ,, the Road by ) and came up from it only : For To the Particles here rendred 
 I. into and om of^ arc often expounded. And if fo, then this Text doth not fo 
 much as prove, that they went into the Water, but only to the Bank or Side 
 • of it. And befidcs, that Water, if they did go into it, is reported by thofe 
 that have travelled into, and viewed thofe Parts, to have been only a Rife or 
 Fountain, fo fmall or (hallow, as that a Man could not be dipp'd in it. St.J^ip- 
 rom faith, it was fans adKadicem wontU ebnlliens^ a Fountain bubbling out 
 ' at the bottom of the Hill; Et aheBdeminqui^i^nitury forbetnr hhfno^ and 
 t- forthwith drank up by the Earth thaj: produced it, as it is expreflcd by Sandys 
 in his Travels, (peaking of the fame Place ; and therefore it is not likely to 
 be of any coniidcrable Depth. And (o the ExprcHion in the Story of the j^^s 
 feems to intimate, ver. 36. they came ^^ ti l'^^, unto a certain Water, 
 or fomewhat of Water^ tnough io bapdze the Eunuch, tho not by dipping. 
 But from none of thcfe Rektions of Baptifm can the particular or determinate 
 manner of the Adminiilration certainly be gathered ; and therefore much le(s 
 the Neccifity of any Form be concluded. So that at mo(^, all that thelc 
 Places amount to, is a mecr Probability of the thing, that it was done in that 
 manner, and no mor«. And yet thefe are all thp Places firom Example, that 
 
A (p ^ E N D I X. 
 
 ufe to be produc'd to prove the Neceffity. But how (hort doth all come of a 
 demonftrative Proof ? 
 
 2. In fome of the Examples or Inftanccs of Pcrfons baptized in Scripture, 
 it is very improbable that the way of the Admiiiiftration of Baptifm was by 
 Dipping i and the Probability is rather on the other fide, that it was not by 
 Dipping, but rather fome other way. 
 
 As when we read of fuch vaft Multitudes baptiied by John, which tlie.Evaiv 
 gelift givethus an Account of i Matth. 5. 5^ 6. Then went out to htm Jeru- 
 falem, 4W4i7]udca, and all the Kegim round aboHt ]o'c^zn^ andweve baf. 
 tiz^edofhim. This great Conflux of People to him, leems to be chiefly at 
 the Beginning of his Mini(\ry, though that continued but a litcU vime nei- 
 ther at mofl:. And we have no Account that John had any AlTiftance in bap- 
 tizing any \ for wc do not read that his' Difciples baptized, though the 
 Difciples of our Lord did. So that the whole Work mult lie upon him, in 
 baptizing fo many thoufand People, as it is likely there were, that came to 
 him day by day. And what a tedious and dangerous Drudgery muft this be 
 for him, if he muft ftand fo many Hours, or whole Days together in deep Wa- 
 ter, and muft take all this Company one by one, to bury them under Water, 
 and take them up again after the Mode ? How unlikely or improbable there- 
 fore is this ? 
 
 And fo when we read of three thoufand Verfons that were baptized, and 
 added to the Church the fame Day, ASls 2.41. For it feems that they were 
 baptized the fame Day that they heard the Word, and were converted to the 
 Faith of Chrift. And this Work, it cannot well be fuppofed, that they could 
 go about before Noon at fooneft : For St. ?eter began his Sermon but about 
 nine of the Clock in the Morning, or the third Hour of the T)ay^ ver. 1 5. 
 And after chat there muft needs fome time pafs in Difcourfe, &c. before they 
 could be ready for the Work of Baptifm. And how unlikely is this, that 
 all this could be done, and fo many Perfons dipp'd after the Mode, by fa 
 few as there were to dO it, in an Aftornoon ? And that in the City Jernfalem^ 
 wherein thfvc was no Water of Depth, there being only the little Brook Ce^ 
 dron running by > And as for Cifterns, or other Receptacles of Water, where 
 fiiould they find them to dip fuch a Multitude in, and that upon a {^Mi^n } 
 The moft of that Nature, we may fuppofe^ were about the Temple, for the 
 wafliaig and bathing of the Priefts \ but it is not likely there could be fo ma- 
 ny as to ferve for fuch a Multitude ; nor that they HiouW have leave to ufe 
 thofe that were. And the Water- pots that were in private Houfes v/erc com- 
 monly lefs, as ferving chiefly for the waftiing of their Feet when they came in 
 ficom Travel. And there is not the leaft Intimation of their going out of the 
 €ity to perform this Work. And if they had^ that would have taken up 
 
 more 
 
A P <f BKD I X 
 
 more time than what could have been fpared in an Afternoon. Arid yet as 
 Geographers report, there was not any Water near the City of that Quantity, 
 that could be fufficient for this Performance neither. CAud beiides, was ali 
 this done, and were they baptized nailed, or in tlieir Clothes ? If naked, 
 where was the Modefty that became fuch an Ordinance, in the dipping of fuch 
 a vail mix'd Multitude, as it is Hkely, of Men and Women together, at 
 Noon-day ? If in fome Clothes, muft tiiey all go home iirit and fetch Clothes 
 to change, or muft they walk to their feveral Habitations, it may be a conti- 
 derable ipacc, in their wet Clothes ? Which way foever Mens Imaginations 
 may work to form a Suppolition, how ikangely improbable is all ? 
 
 So when we read of baptizing a whole Houlhold, in the deep of the Night 
 in a private Houfe, in a City, without the leaft Inriraation or Likelihood of 
 their going forth to a River, or any Water out of the Houfc for it : As we 
 read in theStory of the Jailor, A5is i^. 33. Por he took them the fame Hour 
 of the Nighty and washed their Strifes^ (that is, of P^w/and SUa4^ and was 
 haptiz^edj he and all his flraightway^ viz., in the very Prifon i and then 
 brought them into his own Houle, which was probably joined to the Priibn, 
 and fet Meat before them. This is not very likely, in thefe Circunjlknces, 
 to be done by Dipping neither. 
 
 And what an unlikely thing is it, that St. Patd^ when he was in that weal^ 
 Condition through Fafiing, and that great Conlkrnation of Spirit that he 
 was in by reafon of his Vilipii, ftiould be baptized by Dipping in cold Water, 
 in his private Lodging, as the Series of the Story feems to intimate to us, that 
 he then was-, Mis ^. p. He for three Days was without Sight^ and neither 
 did eat nor drink. But ver. 1 8. when Ananias came and {pake to him, he 
 received Sight forthwith, and arofe^ (being, it is likely, before upon the Bed, 
 through Weaknefs and Trouble) and was baptiz.ed -' And when he had re* 
 ceived Meat^ which it feems was not till after his Baptifm, he was ftrength- 
 ned. 
 
 Confidering thefe things therefore, if we confider the bare Relations of the 
 Scripture, it leems highly improbable, that in thefe Inflances Baptifm was 
 adminiiired by Dipping-, but it feems more probable that it was done fome 
 other way, by Afpertlon or Application of Water, not by Dipping. So that 
 if in the foniif r liilianccs there Wv\s a Probability that Baptifm was by Immer- 
 lion or piunging in the Water, (though in fome of them we have km it hard- 
 ly amounts so that neither) yet in thefe now mentioned there is a Probability 
 at leail on the other fide. So that here is Probability againft Probability. And 
 I will appeal to any Man that is not prejudic'd, whether thbfe Accounts of 
 Biptifm, that we have in the former Relations, can ever be rationally /iippo* 
 fed to contain a demonfirative Evidence and Proof of the Necelfity of Dipping, 
 
 as 
 
A <P <P B N V I K. 
 
 as being effential to Baptifm, when there are fuch Probabilities in others of a 
 quite different Adminiliration ? 
 
 5. Butlfhall add this further, that if it could be demonftratively proved 
 by Scripture-Examples, that the way of Adminiftration of Baptifm in thofc 
 times, was by Immerfion or Dipping under Water, yet could it lay no necef- 
 fary Obligation upon us to the like, uniefs it could be proved, that this de- 
 terminate manner v/as appointed by ChritVs InlHtution, which it is impolli- 
 ble to prove by thefe Examples alone, if the thing be capable of being per- 
 formed othcrvvife. For our Saviour might give out the Cotnmand of bap- 
 tizing wi'h Water in gmeral, without determining the manner of Admini- 
 (Iration, but leaving the particular Form or Mode indifferent, and to be ufed 
 adlibitHm^ this way, or that way. And they might take up this Mode of 
 Immerfion (if they did do foj as moft futable to tlieir Apprehenfions, or In- 
 clinations, or Cuttoms. But it doth not follow therefore; that we muff needs 
 obfcrve the fame Manner, if the fame Thing can be done another Way, and to 
 the fame Ends and Ufe. Therefore uniefs they can prove this Particularity by 
 the Inffitution, or fuch Texts as are clearly declarative of it, thefe Examples 
 will not bind us to the like Obfervation. For an Example is no Rule or Ob- 
 ligation of it felf > fo that the Rule it (elf muft be firft proved, before an Ex- 
 ample can be made ufe of in Argument. So that this Argument from Exam- 
 ple alone is of no Force at all. And we have feen before, that there is nothing 
 to be certainly concluded from the bare Words by which the Ordinance is 
 cxprefs'd, to prove this Form of Adminiftration that is fo contetkdabout. 
 
 If it be faid, That the Senfeof our Savionr's Jnflitution maybe competently 
 gathered from their Cuftoms. I anfwer. That they had feveral forts of Bap- 
 tifms, or Waftiings, and Purifications, and many of thefe were by Sprink- 
 ling : So that which of thofe are we fure that our Saviour referred to ? 
 
 If it be faid, that their maimer of Baptifm before was by Dipping or Im- 
 merfion, and fo that our Saviour in the Inftitution of Chriftian Baptifm fup- 
 pofed, at leaff, or ordeied it to be adminiftred in their Mode, and that the 
 word hptize muft fignify to do as they did. / anfwer^ firff, that that muft 
 be proved by Scripture to be their Mode of Adminiftration, before a Neceftity 
 can be inferred by this Argument, that it muft be ours. For if they produce 
 an unfcriptural Proof, though the thing be true,though it niay illuftrate an Ar- 
 gument, yet it will not be enough to enforce an Affent, fo as to build the 
 Neceffity of fuch a Practice upon. And yet again, if it could be proved ne- 
 ver fo fubftantially from Scripture it felf, that this was always the Jewifti 
 Mode of Adminiftration of Baptifm, yet it will not follow that this Mode or 
 Manner wasprefcribed by our Saviour in his Inftitution : For his Inftitution 
 refpet^s the End rather than the Manner- that is- he bid. theirs da what they 
 
 did 
 
A f ? E N D I X. 
 
 did to fuel; ' , Fnd, (as Baptifm is now defigncd for) but he did not bid them 
 do it only ,ii/y,ifway. For our Saviour's Inllitution dorh not fcem to ^e- 
 ipedlthc Wayat all, bat the End and the Matter ^ (o that if there be any 
 kind of Application ot Water to fuch an end, the Inftitution is fatisfied. And 
 thefe Examples do nothing at all to oblige to this or that particular Form. 
 
 And yet it is to be obferved again, that if the Inllitution had rcfpeded the 
 Manner as well as the End, that many things have been obferved and done in 
 the IttH Adminiftration of an Ordinance, ina-nformity to fuch Particularities 
 in the Inftitution, that in after- Ad miniltratioi-s h;'.ve been onnitted or altered, 
 W2,. in Matters that have not related to the Eifence of the Ordinance. Thus 
 it was in the Matter or Butinefs of the Pajfover^ which according to the tirft 
 Inftitution was to be tsiitnfiandmg^ and in hafie^ with their Loins girded^ and 
 Staffs in their Hands ; to denote, perhaps, their hafty PafTagc and Delive- 
 rance out of ^gy^t^' But thefe Circuntiftances, when they came to poffefs the 
 Land of Canaan, in after-Generations, were wholly omitted. And we find 
 Chvirt and his Apoftles ina Table-pofture, in that Paflbver which he celebra- 
 ted with them, quite different from the firft Inftitution i the particular Fo- 
 il are being not relative to the main End of the Inlhtution i and the Circum- 
 ftances being altered that the Inftitution at firft had refpedj- unto : And fo wliy 
 may it not be in this Cafe ? So that though it (hould be fuppofed, that their 
 way of Adminiftration of Baptifm was by Immerfion, and that our Saviour 
 had refpefi- to that way in the firft Inftitution, it having been their Mode and 
 Cuftom before in that warm Country ; yet upon Variation of Places and 
 Cuftoms, why may we not here alfo fuppofe an Allowance, if the Alteration 
 of the Manner, in Accommodation to fuch Places or Perfons, parallel to that 
 Alteration that was before about the Paflbver ? For furely a Change of Cli- 
 mates makes a great Alteration of Cireumftances ; the Northern Climates be- 
 ing much colder than the Southern, on this fide the Equinodial. And Im- 
 merfion or Bathing in cold Water, which was pleafurable enough in Jhdeay 
 will be very ttoublefom and dangerous in the Northern Regions, efpecially at 
 fome tiires of the Year, and to fome Perfons that arc fickly or weak. And 
 yet no doubt but our Saviour intended that Baptifm (hould be common to all 
 Places, and Times, and Perfons: For wc do not read in Scripture, that ever 
 they deferred Baptifm after they were converted to the Chriftian Faith, at 
 what time foevtr of the Year it was. And yet withal it is plain, from th» 
 general Rule, that God requires Mercy and not Sacrifice ; and therefore oui 
 Saviour, we may be fure, would not have an external Ordinance to be ordi- 
 narily detrimental or dangerous to any of the Subjeds of it i, as plunging in 
 cold Water muft needs be to fome Perfons, efpecially in cold Climates, with- 
 out a continual Miracle, which wc sy:c not ordinarily to exped : For as he 
 
 tells 
 
J^ <P EN X> I X. 
 
 tells us in another Inftance, the Sabbath was made for Man^ And not Man for 
 the Sabbath •, and therefore was not to have any Detriment from i^ that could 
 be conveniently prevented. For a natural Law mult be fuppoftdalways to 
 ovM-rule polirivelnftitutiions. And why may we not in the faine manner 
 argue, that Baptilm likewife was made tor Man, and not Man for Baptifm > 
 And therefore when fuch a Manner of Baptifm would ordinarily become hurt- 
 ful to Man "in fome Places, we may by the fame Pvule conclude, that another 
 Manner may be fublVituted in the room of it,if it rr^ay anfwer to the fame Ends 
 and Purpofes. And though that of Dipping might be the manner in that 
 warm Country, where the Inllitution was tirft delivered, yet it is not reafo- 
 nable to fuppofe that that (hould be alike prefcribed to other Perfons and 
 Places, to whom and where it would become dangerous and hurtful to the 
 Life and Health of Man, when another will do as well. 
 
 IlL I come therefore now to fhew, that it is not necefTary to the Ends of 
 Baptifm, that it fnould be adminiftred by Dipping. For the cleanllng Nature 
 of Wafer, without coniidering the Quantity, will be fufficient to lignify all 
 "that is intended by it. And it is the SigniHcancy of Water alone, as a Sign, 
 and not the natural Virtue of it, can here be intended. And this Signihcancy 
 may be fufficiendy exprefs'd by the life of it in any Quantity, it being rhc 
 J. -nfying and cleanling Property of Water that is conliderable in this Ordi- 
 nance. So that wlic Jicr we take it as a Sign from God to us, of his cleanling 
 us from Sin and Guilt by the Blood and Spirit of Chrill, and his owning us 
 for his own holy peculiar People i or whether we take it as a Sign from us 
 to God, of our Obligation and Dedication to Purity and Holinefs, as the 
 Servants of God •, the Ufe of it, by Afperfion or Application of it to us, will 
 be of like Significancy to lmme;fion or Plunging of us into it. 
 
 And that this may not be thought to be only our Imaglr.ation, it is to be 
 obfervcd, that thofe very Benefits which are fignihed by Ba{)tirm, are often 
 fctout bytheExprcllion oi Sprinkling, And if the thing iignified may bf cy| 
 fufKciently exprefs'd in.this way, then furely it is fufficlent that the Sign fhould Epi 
 be fo ufcd, as to reprefent or exprefs the fame. For the Sign is but for the ^^\ 
 fake of the thing fignified. Thus the Expiation cf Siu by the Blood of Chrifl, 
 and the Communication of the Benefits of his ueath, is fet out by Sprinkling, 
 1 Pet. I. 2. through Sprinkling of the BlooJ of Jefta Chrifl. And Heb. 12. 
 24. This is that Blood of Sprinkling that fieaketh better things than the Blood 
 vf Abel. And fo Neb. 10. 22. wc come to have our Hearts ffr'tnkled from 
 an evil Confcieme. And tht Communication of God's Grace, and Affiflance 
 of his holy Spirit, for the San(5tification of our Hearts and Lives, is fet out 
 in the fame manner. Thus we have that Prophecy, with refped to Gofpcl- 
 
 I times, 
 
J (p T E N J) IX 
 
 times, Ifa.$2. 15. Hi fh all f prink! e many Nations, that i$, by beftowing 
 Jiis Word and Spirit upon ihem, to convert and bring them to an holy Sub- 
 raiflion to himlelf. And ib Ez^e\. 3^. 25. Ihen wiHl ffr inkle clean Water 
 uponyoH^ and ye {Jy.Ml he clean •, from all yonr Filihinefs^ and from all your 
 Idols will I ckanfe yon. And thus we find the manner was in the Ceremo- 
 nial Cleanfings j as in cleanling of the Levitcs, Numh. 8. 7. Thm (halt thou 
 do unto them to clean fe them ^ fprinkle clean fVater of purifying upon them. 
 And fo when any one was unclean \v\{\\ any Ceremonial Llnckannets, he was 
 10 be purified.^ by fprinkling the ffater of Separation, Numb. 19. 13., So 
 that it (cems that all forts of Puritication or Cleanling niay be ^ifficiently ex- 
 prefs'd by fpiiiikling of Water or Blood. So that the Sprinkling of Water 
 in Baptihn is likewife fufficient to exprefs or fign=fy what is to be iignificd 
 thereby: It being not the Quantity, but the cleanling Nature of Water, 
 that is intended in if, as a Sign to the Purpofes to which it is deigned. As 
 "in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, it is not the (Quantity of Bread and 
 Wine that is neceffary to the Signihcaacy intended therein, of ftrengthning 
 and rcfielhing our Souls by the £ .dy and Blood of Chrifti but Bread and 
 Wine ufed in any Quantity vvhatfoever. So the Significancy and End of 
 Baptifm doth not depend upon the Quantitv of Water ufed therein, but only 
 upon that Ufe of it, whatever Q^iantity it bn in. 
 
 But fay our Brethren of the other Perfwalion, that tb? ^'gnlficancy of Bap- 
 fifm is.not fufficiently exprefs'd, unlefs, according to the Apoftle, wc- are bu- 
 ried in Baptifm under Watei', as they underfrand that Place, Rorn. 6. 4. ^e 
 i^e buried with him by Baftifm into Death :■■ Which Place they produce, both 
 to prove the manner of Baptifm by Dipping, and alfo the Necellity of it.' 
 Whereas I think that neither one nor the other can be pnn'f d from it ; The Apo« 
 file's Deiignin that Place is to engage Chriftians to a Forfaking or Renuncia- 
 tion of Sin: And the Argument he ufeth is taken from their Baptifm, be- 
 aufe they are baptized, in their Baptifm, into the Similitude ofChrifl^s 
 Deat-h^ and fa are buried with him by Baptifm into Death^ fb as to die to Sin : 
 'that as Chrifi died for Sin, fo we by our Covenant- Engagement in our Bap- 
 tifm^. undertake avowed Death to Sin, evermore to renounce and foriake it, 
 and to live a new regenerate Life anfwerabic to Chr'fl's Refurredion. And 
 this is to be planted together with Chrift in the lik^nefs of hit Death ; and fb 
 we are to be in the Ukenefs of hus KefurreUion. And our old Man is crucified 
 mth hinty that the Body of Sin might be defiroyed, that henceforth we Jhould - 
 [, not ferve Sin : And therefore we muft reckon our felves, by this our Cove- 
 nant- Engagement, to be dead indeed unto Sin^ and alive unto God through 
 Je/m Chrifi our Lord h to live a Life of Holinefs according to the Will of God. 
 So that 'tis a departing from Sinvi^hich the. Apoftle heie intends, and argues 
 
 from 
 
A f <P E N D I X. i 
 
 from Baptifm as an engaging Covenant-iign thereunto, and makes ufe of 
 the feveral Metaphors of Death and Burial, and planting into Death, and 
 Crucirixion, to exprefs this departing from Iniquity, to which by Baptifm 
 we are engaged. 
 
 But fay they, T'be Jpofile aUkdes to the PraSlice or Cuftom of baftizing by 
 dipping under Water. But how doth that appear ? they muft prove the 
 Gultom before they can prove that this is an Allufion to the Cuftom : For an 
 Allulion to a Culiom fuppofeth it, which muft be made out fome other way. 
 For it muftfirft appear, that r/j.-?f was the Cuftom, before it can appear that 
 this is an Allulion to its fo that this Text alone doth not prove the Cuftom. 
 And we fee that the Apoftle's Dilcourle may be very well underftood without 
 fuppofing fuch an Allufion. And yet if the Cuftom be owned, and the Al- 
 lufion be granted, theApoftle's Allufion doth not prove the Neccility of it, . 
 In other Scriptures we fee, there is an Allufion to Sprinkling, yet we don't 
 argue the Neceflity of Sprinkling from fuch an Allufion: Nor can the Ne-' ' 
 ceflity of Dipping be argued from this. For the Force of the Apoftle's Argu- 
 ment doth not lie in this, that they were buried under Water, (though it be 
 admitted they were fo) but that they were obliged by their Baptifm, as an 
 engaging Sign, to depart from Sin •, which they may be as well, if Baptifm 
 were adminiftred by Sprinkling •, fo that the thing defigned is equally attained 
 this way^ though not under the Notion or Metaphor of Burial, yet under ano- 
 ther Notion that fignifieth the fame thing, though not in the fame manner. 
 And it is the thing it felf that is to be refpcded, and not as it is exprefs'd un- 
 der fuch or {uch a Metaphor. And therefore I can never think, that there 
 fhould be fo much Strefs laid upon a Pradlice only for the fake of a certain 
 Metaphor to be built upon it, when the thing it felf may be argued without 
 it, or under any other as well as that. 
 
 Thus I hope I have made out, that there is no Neceflity of baptizing by- 
 Dipping to be proved by Scripture. And no body pretends, as I know, the- 
 Neceffity of any other particular determinate Form. 
 
 Inference i. And hence then I infer, that the particular Mode or Form of: 
 Baptifm is a thing indifferent, as not coming under any Precept, or being any- 
 way effenfial to the Ordinance. As the Anabaptifis do allow, that it is in- 
 different whether Perfons be baptized naked or in their Clothes, (though I 
 think that that may fairly admit of a Difputc) there being as they think no 
 pofitive Rule for either. So for the fame Fleafon (hall I make the like Con- 
 dufion concerning the Mode of the Adrainiftration, whether by Dipping or= 
 Sprinkling* 
 
 2.vAndj-i 
 
i * J P <P E NV I X. 
 
 ji, 2. And then if the particular Form or Mode be indiiferenf, then to lay 
 
 I " * fuch a Strefs upon it, as if the Worfliip or Ordinance could not be ocherwifc 
 acceptably performed orobferved, can be nothing elfe but an unreaibnablc 
 ^ Superftition. 
 
 J 5. And if it be indifferent, then to make a Breach and Schifm in the 
 
 J Church for the fake of it, to cry down all other Baptifm for a Nullity be- 
 fides their own, and to condemn all other Churches as no Churches, and 
 , their Ordinances as no Ordinances, and their Minirtry as no Minirtry, for the 
 j^Vfake thereof ^ and to promote, continue, and carry on with fo much Impor- 
 tunity, a cauflefs and uncharitable Separation and Diviiion by means thereof, 
 muft needs be very highly criminal. 
 
 ,.ip, I (hall conclude all with the Apoftle's Exhortation to the Romans, Let tu 
 fellaw after the things that make for Peaces and things wherewith one may edi- 
 
 .i^,fy another. And that to the Corinthians^ Finally^ Brethren^ farewel: Be 
 ferfeU \ be of one Mind^ live in Peace j and the God of Love avd Peace{JhaU 
 he with you, 
 
 T'H E E N t 
 
 ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 TpHerc is lately publiflied, A Survey tf the Bible j or, an Analytical Account of the Holy 
 X Saiptum : Containing the DivifioB of every Book and Chapter j thereby fhewing 
 the Frame and Contexture of the whole. Much conducing to the clearer Underftanding 
 thereof. By way of Supplement to the Annotations on the Bible. By SmHel Clarl^ M. A. 
 fometime Fellow of Fembrool^HdU in Cambridge j and afterwards ReAor of Grendon-Vndtr- 
 wood, in the County of Bw/^j. Fiintcd for Jonathan Robinfon, 
 
V ), c,^.,n,bV^