N00230:44
The divine right of infant-baptism asserted and proved from Scripture and antiquity. By Increase…The divine right of infant-baptisme asserted and proved from Scripture and antiquity. By Increase…
The divine right of infant-baptism asserted and proved from Scripture and antiquity. By Increase Mather, teacher of a church of Christ in Boston in New-England. ; [Ten lines of quotations]The divine right of infant-baptisme asserted and proved from Scripture and antiquity. By Increase Mather, teacher of a church of Christ in Boston in New-England. ; [Ten lines of quotations]
Boston: printed by John Foster, 1680
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The same is to be affirmed with reference unto Circumcision Rom. 4.11. That which Antipedobaptists most stand upon, is, That Baptism doth call for Regeneration, Faith, Mortification, which Infants are not (say they) capable of. But circumcision did also call for Regeneration, Faith, Mortification in the subject of it, and yet Infants were circumcised. Nor do I know any thing objected against the baptism of Infants, but carnal Reason might have made the same Objection against their being circumcised. Now then, if baptism come in the room of circumcision; if they are both seals of the same covenant of Grace; if the same mysteries that are now signified in baptism, were of old held forth in Circumcision, it followeth strongly, that if Infants had right to circumcision, they have right to Baptism.
The same is to be affirmed with reference unto Circumcision Rom. 4.11. That which Antipedobaptists most stand upon, is, That Baptism doth call for Regeneration, Faith, Mortification, which Infants are not (say they) capable of. But circumcision did also call for Regeneration, Faith, Mortification in the subject of it, and yet Infants were circumcised. Nor doe I know any thing objected against the baptism of Infants, but carnal Reason might have made the same Objection against their being circumcised. Now then, if baptism come in the room of circumcision; if they are both seals of the same covenant of Grace; if the same mysteries that are now signified in baptism, were of old held forth in Circumcision, it followeth strongly, that if Infants had right to circumcision, they have right to Baptism.
And this I conceive, is the reason why the baptism of Infants is not in so many words and syllables mentioned in the New Testament (albeit there are such precepts and expressions therein as do evidently imply it) because it was so clear and known a thing, that Children should have the initiating Seal of the Covenant applied unto them, as there was no need to insist upon that: but there is express notice taken of women's being baptized,