A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian EcclesiasticsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian Ecclesiastics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
2. And this certainty of apprehension, sometimes signifieth only the
truth of that apprehension, when a man indeed is not deceived, or more
usually that clearness of apprehension joined with truth, which fully
quieteth the mind and excludeth doubting.
3. We must distinguish of infants as baptized lawfully upon just
title, or unlawfully without title.
4. And also of title before God, which maketh a lawful claim and
reception at his bar; and title before the church, which maketh only
the administration lawful before God, and the reception lawful only
_in foro ecclesia_, or _externo_.
5. The word baptism signifieth either the external part only,
consisting in the words and outward action, or the internal
covenanting of the heart also.
6. And that internal covenant is either sincere, which giveth right to
the benefits of God's covenant, or only partial, reserved, and
unsound, such as is common to hypocrites.
_Conclus._ 1. God hath been pleased to speak so little in Scripture of
the case of infants, that modest men will use the words certainly and
undoubtedly, about their case, with very great caution. And many great
divines have maintained that their very baptism itself, cannot be
certainly and undoubtedly proved by the word of God, but by tradition;
though I have endeavoured to prove the contrary in a special Treatise
on that point.
2. No man can tell what is objectively certain or revealed in God's
word, who hath not subjective certainty or knowledge of it.
3. A man's apprehension may be true, when it is but a wavering
opinion, with the greatest doubtfulness. Therefore we do not usually
by a certain apprehension, mean only a true apprehension, but a clear
and quieting one.
4. It is possible to baptize infants unlawfully, or without any right,
so that their reception and baptizing shall be a great sin, as is the
misapplying of other ordinances. For instance: one in America, where
there is neither church to receive them, nor christian parents, nor
sponsors, may take up the Indians' children and baptize them against
the parents' wills: or if the parents consent to have their children
outwardly baptized, and not themselves, as not knowing what baptizing
meaneth, or desire it only for outward advantages to their children;
or if they offer them to be baptized only in open derision and scorn
of Christ; such children have no right to be received. And many other
instances nearer may be given.
5. It is possible the person may have no authority at all from Christ
who doth baptize them. And Christ's part in reception of the person,
and collation and investiture in his benefits, must be done by his
commission, or else how can we say that Christ doth it? But open
infidels, women, children, mad-men, scorners, may do it that have none
of his commission.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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