Paragraph 27.1

1. Baptisme is a signe of Profession, and marke of differēce whereby Christians are discerned from other men, that be no Christians.

2. Baptisme is a signe or seale of the regeneration, or newe birth of Christians.

3. Infants, and young children, by the word of God, are to be baptized.

The proofe from Gods word.

How the Sacraments are tokens: and therefore that Baptisme is a signe of the true Church, which be Christians, it is apparent from Gods word in the 5. proposit. of the 19. article afore going; and the same doe the Churches of God acknowledge.^*

Errors, & adversaries vnto this truth.

This declareth vs to be sound Christians, and.

Not Nazarens, who were with the Iewes circumcised, and baptized with Christians, and so (as Hierome writeth of them) were neither Iewes, nor Christians.^†

Mot Manichians, which baptize not any.^‡

Not false christians,^a or Marcionites,⁴ which did baptise the liuing for the dead. Which Marcionites also denied Baptisme vnto all married persons, & baptized none but persons single, virgins, widdowes, and women diuorced from their husbands.⁵

Not Originists, who maintaine a Baptisme by fire; as also that after the resurrectiō of our bodies, wee shall haue neede of Baptisme.⁶

Not of Matthewe Hamants opinion, (that Norfolke Heretike) which stood in it to the death, that Baptisme is not necessarie in the Church.⁷

Not Anabaptists, which number Baptisme among things indifferent, and so to be vsed, or refused, at our discretion.⁸

Not Familists, which say there is no true Baptisme but onely among themselues.⁹

Nor Papists, who both baptise Bels, & Babels, as afore hath bin showen, art. 25. prop. 10, and also make the vowe, and profession of the monachall, or life of a Monch, as good a token of Christians, as Baptisme.¹⁰

The proofe from Gods word.

Baptisme, of S. Paul is called the washing of the newe Birth,^b of others the Sacrament of the newe birth, to signifie how they which rightly (as all doe not) receiue they the same,¹¹ are ingrafted into the body of Christ,^c as by a seale be assured frō God, that their sinnes be pardoned, and forgiuen,^d and themselues adopted for the children of God,^e confirmed in the faith,^f and doe increase in grace, by virtue of praier vnto God.^g

And this is the constant doctrine of all Churches protestant, and reformed.¹²

The Errors and adversaries vnto this truth.

But no part of the true Church thinketh as did manie old haeretickes, viz. that

The baptized of the orthodoxall ministers, are to be rebaptized, as said the Nouatians.¹³

Originall sinne is not pardoned in Infants, as said the Pelagians, because they haue no such sinne in them at all.¹⁴

Onely sinnes past, and not sinnes future, or not yet committed, are by Baptisme clensed, as the Messalians held.¹⁵

Being once Baptized we can no more be tēpted, as thought the Iouians; which was the error also of the Pelagians.¹⁶

The Baptsme of water is now ceased: and the Baptisme of voluntary blood by whipping is come in place thereof, without which none can be saued, as the Flagelliferians published.¹⁷

Wee also condemne the opinion.

Of the Russeis, that there is such a necessitie of Baptisme, as that all that die without the same are damned.¹⁸

Also of the Bannisterians, which say that the water at Baptisme is not holy in respect that it is applied to an holy vse; & that the ordinarie, and common washings among the Turkes, and Iewes, is the same to them that Baptisme is to vs.¹⁹

Likewise of the Familie of Loue, which conceiue basely of this Sacrament, calling it in derision, Elementish water; and of no better validitie, or virtue then common water.²⁰

Also of the Anabaptists, who ascribe no more vnto Baptisme, then vnto any other thing, ciuilly discerning one man from another; and say that the Sacraments of the newe Testament are no instruments to raise, or confirme faith.²¹

And lastly of the Papists, who maintaine that

Baptisme serueth to the putting away of originall sinne onely.²²

Baptisme bringeth grace, euen ex opere operato.²³

The proofe from Gods word.

Although by expresse tearms wee be not cōmanded to baptize young children: yet wee beleeue they are to be baptised, and that for these, among other reasons.

1. The grace of God is vniuersall, and pertaineth vnto all: Therefore the signe, or Seale of grace is vniuersall, and belongeth vnto all, so well young as old.

2. Baptisme is vnto vs, as Circumcision was vnto the Iewes. But the Infants of the Iewes were circumcised. Therefore the children of Christians are to be baptized.

3. Children belong vnto the kingdome of heauen,^h and are in the couenant therefore the signe of the couenant is not to be denied them.

4. Christ gaue in commandement that all should be baptized,ⁱ Therefore young children are not to be exempted.

5. Christ hath shed his blood aswell for the washing away the sinnes of children, as of the elder sort. Therefore it is very necessarie that they should be partakers of the Sacrament thereof.

All Christian churches allowe of the Baptisme of infants.²⁴

Adversaries vnto this truth.

The premises declare, that

They slander vs which say, That all Protestants, denie the Baptisme of children to be necessarie, and this is Runnagate Hills report.²⁵

They erre which oppugne this truth, as doe many persons, but not after one, and the same sort. For.

Some vtterly denie that Infants, or young children are to be baptized, so did the Pelagians.²⁶ the Heracleons; and the Henricians,²⁷ and so doe the Anabaptists, whereof said some, how baptisme is the inuention of Pope Nicholas, and therefore naught,²⁸ others that Baptisme is of the deuill. So thought Melchior Hoffeman,²⁹ so also doe the Swermerians (a set among the said Anabaptists,³⁰ the Seruetians,³¹ and the Familie of Loue which doth hold that none should be baptized vntill hee be thirtie yeares old.³²

Others refuse to baptise not all, but some Infants. So denied is Baptisme by the Barrowists vnto the seede of whores, and witches,³³ by the Brownists, vnto the children of open sinners,³⁴ by the the Disciplinarians vnto their children which subiect not themselues (as Dud. Fenner saith) vnto the discipline of the Church, or obey not the Presbyteriall decrees.³⁵

Others allow the Baptisme of Infants, yet thinke those Infants not lawfully baptized, which are baptized either by the newe ministers of the Church of England, as the Brownists doe thinke,³⁶ or by Protestant ministers, as the Papists are of minde, witnesse their rebaptizing of Infants in France, and in Netherland,³⁷ or by vnpreaching ministers, as the disciplinarian Puritanes doe hold.³⁸

And others are of opinion that none are to be baptized which beleeue not first.

Hence the Anabaptists, Infants beleeue not therefore be not to be baptized. Hence the Lutherans: Infants doe beleeue:³⁹ Therefore to be baptized.