EIGHT REASONS FOR BAPTISING INFANTS BORN OF BELIEVING PARENTS.  DEUT. 30.6. 
I will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed.  
LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1649.   

Infants born of believing Parents are to be baptised.  
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 baptised.  
II. In the 18 ●h of Matthew, Christ speaking of little children, tells 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 baptised.  
III. In the 19th 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 forbidden 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. unless they be baptised) they cannot enter into the kingdom of God, Joh. 3.5. Ergo, That they may enter into the kingdom of heaven, they must be baptised.  
iv In the 28th of Matthew, Christ gives an universal Commission to his Apostles.  
Go, and teach all Nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you: And lo I am with you to the end of the world, ver. 19, 20.  
The Apostles were to baptise 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 Privilege 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 them; And lo 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 baptised whole families, Lydiabs and the jailers, 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 baptising 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 baptising all Nations, etc. The Church being the Pillar of Truth, 1 Tim. 3.15. (i) the Church holding out God's Truths, as a Pillar doth the King's Proclamation, to be read and understood by us.  
VII. For many hundred years the Catholic Church hath consisted almost only of those that were baptised in their Infancy, Ergo, The Baptism of Infants must be maintained, or the Catholic 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 baptised: Baptism succeeding circumcision, 2 Cor. 11.12.  
And that Baptism was appointed to be the Sacrament of Initiation in the Church of Christ, as Circumcision was in the Church of the Jews, appears by the Commission, Teach all Nations baptising them, etc. And by the practice of the Apostles throughout 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, etc. 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  places, Joh. 3.5. Tit. 3.5.  

The Sum of all the fore going Reasons  The Sum of all is this:  
Infants born of believing Parents, are within the Covenant of grace, and Church of Christ: And Christ tells 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 baptising all Nations, he gave them and us, in charge the observing of whatsoever he had commanded them: And the Apostles baptised whole Families, and the universal Church of Christ hath taught the baptising of Infants, and practised it: And the Catholic Church for many hundred years hath consisted almost wholly of those that were baptised in their Infancy, Ergo, Such Infants are to be baptised.  
Object. And as they were circumcised under the Law, so are they to be baptised 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 righteousness of faith, Rom. 4.11. And so is Baptism, that succeeded it; and as the Apostle says, That Abraham believed, and was circumcised: so said Philip to the Eunuch, If thou believest (with all thine heart) thou mayst be baptised, Act. 8.37. And accordingly our Saviour, He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved, Mar. 16.16. But Infants cannot believe, Ergo, They may not be baptised. 
Sol.   
That place in the Romans concerns the personal Circumcision of Abraham who was 99 years old, when he was circumcised (Gen. 17.24.) and who first believed 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 testify their competent understanding of Christianity, and profess their faith in Christ, and in the Promises made to us by God in Christ, and their earnest desire to be strengthened 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, Abraham's son was circumcised the 8th day, Gen. 21.4. So the sons and daughters of believing Parents may be baptised in their Infancy, by Reason of the general 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, is instead of an outward profession of the Gospel: and ●heir Parents desiring them to be baptised 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 actual 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 Christ's Righteousness that both justifieth and saveth us absolutely, and not our actual apprehending of it: and God doth supply the defect of belief and apprehension in Infants by his Spirit, applying to them the blood 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 believers, Mat. 18.6.  
Who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned 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 Righteousness, 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 baptised? Act. 10.47.  
FINIS.