Reasons. I. THE Covenant of Grace, which God made with Abram and his seed, is everlasting ( Gen. 17.1.) And ex­tendeth to all believers, and to their children (Act. 2.39.) hence, where­as the children of unbelievers are unclean, the chil­dren of believers are holy (1 Cor. 7.14.) (i.) set apart from those others, and taken into Covenant with God, and belonging to the Church of Christ.

But being within the Covenant and the Church, they have right to the Seal, and Ordinance of Ba­ptism. Ergo, They are to be baptized.

II. In the 18 ^•h of Matthew, Christ speaking of little children, tels us;

That the Son of man is come to save what is lost, v. 11. That it is not the will of God that one of these little ones should perish, vers. 14.

But God preordaining to the end, preordaineth to the means also.

And we are saved by the means of Baptism, Tit. 3.5. compared with Act. 22.16. Erge, Little chil­dren who are to be saved, are to be baptized.

[Page 4] III. In the 19 ^th of Matthew, They brought little children, or Infants (Luk. 18.15.) to Christ, that he should put his hands upon them, and pray: And the Disciples rebuked them.

But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven, v. 13, 14.

But except they be born again of water and of the Spi­rit ( i. unlesse they be baptized) they cannot enter into the kingdom of God, Joh. 3.5. Ergo, That they may enter into the kingdom of heaven, they must be baptized.

IV. In the 28 ^th of Matthew, Christ gives an uni­versal Commission to his Apostles.

Go, and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe al things, whatsoever I have commanded you: And loe I am with you to the end of the world, ver. 19, 20.

The Apostles were to baptize all Nations, Ergo, Children; especially upon supposition of the premises.

That they are within the Covenant of grace; and that Baptism is the Seal of the Covenant.

That they are of the Church of Christ, and that Ba­ptism is a Priviledge of the Church.

That they are to be saved; And that we are saved by Baptism, in via ordinaria.

That they belong to the kingdom of heaven, and that Baptism is the entrance thereto.

And as Christ commanded his Disciples, so doth he us, to suffer little children to come unto him; gi­ving us in charge to observe whatsoever he commanded [Page 5] them; And loe he it with us in his Ordinances to the end of the world. And as when they brought little children unto him, he took them into his arms, laid his hands upon them, and blessed them ( Mar. 10.16.) so doth he now at Baptism: for, It is he that ba­ptizeth with the holy Ghost, Joh. 1.33.

V. The Apostles baptized whole families, Lydi­abs and the Jaylers, Act. 16.15.33. Ergo, Their children; especially upon supposition of the premises.

VI. Since Christ time there was never any Church which did not teach the baptizing of Infants and practise it. And the Apostle himself argues from the Authority and custom of the Church, upon ano­ther occasion, 1 Cor. 11.16.

Besides from the doctrine and practice of the Church in this case, do we best understand the do­ctrine and practice of Christ and his Apostles, and the sense of that Commission, given them for bapti­zing all Nations, &c. The Church being the Pillar of Truth, 1 Tim. 3.15. (i.) the Church holding out Gods Truths, as a Pillar doth the Kings Proclamation, to be read and understood by us.

VII. For many hundred years the Catholique Church hath consisted almost onely of those that were baptized in their Infancy, Ergo, The Baptisme of Infants must be maintained, or the Catholique Church for many hundred years hath failed, and so art Article of our faith will be overthrown.

VIII. Under the Law, Infants were circumcised; Ergo, Under the Gospel are they to be baptized: Ba­ptism succeeding circumcision, 2 Cor. 11.12.

And that Baptism was appointed to be the Sa­crament [Page 4] [...] [Page 5] [...] [Page 6] of Initiation in the Church of Christ, as Circumcision was in the Church of the Jews, appears by the Commission, Teach al Nations baptizing them, &c. And by the practise of the Apostles thorowout the whole Book of Acts, where we find that new converts were ever initiated, and incorporated into the Church by Baptism.

And, according to the known, manifest and ordinary course of divine Dispensation, the grace of the Covenant is first applied, and the Promises of God in Christ, touching Remission of sins, Adoption, &c. are first signed and sealed to us, in Baptism: And so Baptism is said to be the Instrument of our Regeneration or new-birth, and the necessary previous means of our salvation, according to the ordinary course of divine di­spensation. And accordingly must we understand those afore-cited places, Joh. 3.5. Tit. 3.5.

The Summe of all the fore going ReasonsThe Summe of all is this:

Infants born of beleeving Parents, are within the Covenant of grace, and Church of Christ: And Christ tels us, That he came to save them; and that the kingdom of heaven belongs to them; and when they were brought unto him, he laid his hands up­on them, and blessed them; and commanded his Dis­ciples to suffer them to come unto him; and when he gave them their Commission for baptizing all Nations, he gave them and us, in charge the obser­ving of whatsoever he had commanded them: And the Apostles baptized whole Families, and the uni­versal Church of Christ hath taught the baptizing of Infants, and practised it: And the Catholique Church for many hundred years hath consisted al­most [Page 7] wholly of those that were baptized in their In­fancy, Ergo, Such Infants are to be baptized.

Object.And as they were circumcised under the Law, so are they to be baptized under the Gospel, The Covenant being everlasting, and the same in substance, though of different administrations in the Old Testament and the new. Circumcision is the seal of the righteousnesse of faith, Rom. 4.11. And so is Baptism, that succeeded it; and as the Apostle saies, That Abraham beleeved, and was circum­cised: so said Philip to the Eunuch, If thou beleevest (with al thine heart) thou maist be baptized, Act. 8.37. And accor­dingly our Saviour, He that beleeveth and is baptized shal be saved, Mar. 16.16. But Infants cannot believe, Ergo, They may not be baptized. Sol.

That place in the Romans concerns the personall Cir­cumcision of Abraham who was 99 years old, when he was circumcised ( Gen. 17.24.) and who first beleeved the Promise, and then had it sealed unto him by cir­cumcision: And if any that are grown, and of years shall be converted (as the Eunuch was) they must first testifie their competent understanding of Christianity, and professe their faith in Christ, and in the Promises made to us by God in Christ, and their earnest desire to be strengthned in that faith, and then have those Promises sealed to them in Baptism: And of such must we understand our Saviour Christ, Mat. 16.16. But as Isaac, Abrams son was circumcised the 8 ^th day, Gen. 21.4. So the sons and daughters of beleeving Parents may be bap­tized in their Infancy, by Reason of the generall Pro­mise of God ( Gen. 17.7.) and of the special both Com­mand and Promise of Christ, Mat. 28.20.

Besides, their being born in the bosom of the Church, [Page 8] is instead of an outward profession of the Gospel: and [...]heir Parents desiring them to be baptized is instead of their own desire of Baptism. And hereto are Parents graciously invited by our Saviour himself, in the afore­said places, Mat. 9. Mar. 10. Luk. 18.

Nor is actuall Faith or belief of absolute necessity ei­ther to Baptism or to salvation, but in those only who are capable of Instruction out of the Word, Faith com­ing by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, Ro. 10.17. It is the application of Christs Righteousnes that both justifieth and saveth us absolutely, and not our actuall apprehending of it: and God doth supply the defect of belief and apprehension in Infants by his Spirit, apply­ing to them the bloud of Christ, in the justifying and sanctifying power (whereof also they are capable as well as those that are in years) and so saving and glori­fying them.

And hence is it that Christ himself reckons Infants amongst beleevers, Mat. 18.6.

Who so shall offend one of these little ones which beleeve in me, it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drown'd in the depth of the Sea.

Now they believe, non actu, sed effectu, not having the act of faith, but the effect thereof; Union with Christ Imputation of his Righteousnes, Justification, Sanctifi­cation, Adoption, by the special operation of the holy Ghost.

And Infants being thus capable of the grace, why are they not also of the seal, of the Covenant.

And who can forbid water, that they should not be ba­ptized? Act. 10.47.