A
Short Catechism
About
BAPTISM.
By
John Tombes,
B. D.
HEB. 6. 2.
Of the Doctrine of Baptisms.
LUKE 7. 35.
But Wisdom is justified of
all her children.
LONDON:
Printed by
Henry Hills,
next
door to the Sign of the
Peacock
in
Aldersgate-street,
1659.
To the Christian
Reader.
MAny are the things at this
day charged on
Antipaedobaptists
in their doctrine
and practice, which have been
proved to be unjustly imputed to them,
by many large Treatises extant in
Print. For a more facile understanding
of the truth then by reading larger
tracts, is this
Compendium,
in a
manner of a Catechism composed
and published in this time, wherein
others of different judgment, have
thought fit to declare their way to the
World, which is done not because
this point of Baptism is judged the only
or main point of our Religion, but
because the disagreement in other
things is either small, or of particular
persons (whose cause is to be severed
from that which is commonly held)
and therefore requires not a distinct
confession or declaration from that
which is by others published. The
aim of the Composer of it is the manifestation
of the truth, wherein he doth
rejoice, and desires thou mayest rejoice
with him. His motion is that of the
Apostle,
Phil. 3. 15, 16. As many
of us as be perfect let us be thus
minded, and if ye be otherwise
minded, God shall reveal even
this unto you. Nevertheless
whereunto we have already attained,
let us walk by the same
rule, let us mind the same thing.
A short Catechism
about Baptism.
Quest. 1.
I
S Baptism with water an Ordinance
of Christ, to be continued
by his Disciples till
the end of the World?
Answ.
Baptism with water
is an ordinance of Christ, which is
to be continued by his Disciples till the
end of the World;
as appears by his command,
Mat. 28. 19, 20. Mark
16. 15, 16.
it being to be joined with preaching of
the Gospel, and making Disciples, by
preaching, & teaching them to observe
all that Christ commands, and so to be
continued while these are to continue,
which is proved to be till the end of the
world, by Christ's promise of his being
with them till then, which were vain, if
the things appointed were not to be
done so long.
Quest. 2.
Is not
the end of the world,
as much as the end of that age?
Answ.
It appears that
Matthew
means
by
the end of the world,
the last time, or
day, wherein there will be a separation
of good and bad, the one to be burned
with fire, and the other to shine as the
Sun, in that in the places wherein
Matthew
useth the self-same form of speech
(to wit,
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
Matth.
13.
39, 40, 49.
Matth.
24. 3.) he cannot be
understood to mean any other.
Quest. 3.
May not the Baptizing in
Matth. 28. 19. Mark
16. 16. be understood
of some other Baptism then that of
water?
Answ.
The Baptism there, must
needs be understood of Baptism by water,
since Baptizing, where ever it is made
John Baptists
or the Disciples act which
they did or were to do, is meant of Baptizing
with water, as
John
4. 1, 2. and
in many other places it appears; and
the Apostles by their practice and command,
Acts 2. 38. 41. Acts
8. 12. 13.
38.
Acts
10. 47, 48. show that they so
understood Christ's appointment,
Mat.
28. 19.
Mark
16. 16.
Quest. 4
May it not be meant of Baptizing
by the Spirit, or afflictions?
Answ.
It cannot be so understood,
since Baptizing with the Spirit is no
where ascribed to any other then Christ,
Matth. 3. 11. Luke
3. 16. Nor is Baptism
with the Spirit a duty for us to do,
but a free gift of Christ▪ not common
to all Disciples of Christ, but peculiar
to some: and to appoint them the baptizing
by affliction, had been to make
the Apostles persecutors.
Quest. 5.
Why did
Paul
then say,
Christ sent him not to Baptize? 1
Cor.
1.
16.
Answ.
Not because he was not appointed
at all to Baptize, for if so, he would
not have Baptized those he did Baptize,
1
Cor. 1. 14. 16. &c.
But because it was
not the chief thing he was to do, as
when the washing of water is said not
to save, 1
Pet.
3. 21. because it is not
the only or principal means of saving.
Quest. 6.
What is the Baptizing appointed
by Jesus Christ?
Answ.
The Baptizing appointed by
Jesus Christ, is dipping of the whole
body in water into the name of the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as is manifest
from the term Baptizing, and the
use of going into and coming up out of
the water,
Mat. 3. 16. Acts
8. 38, 39.
the use of much water,
John
3. 23. The
resembling, by the Baptism used, the burial
and resurrection of Christ,
Rom.
6.
4.
Col.
2. 12. and the testimonies of the
ancients of the first ages.
Quest. 7.
May not the sprinkling or
pouring water on the face, be the Baptism
of Christ?
Answ.
Neither the Scripture, nor
any ancient Author call sprinkling, or
pouring water on the face, Baptism, nor
any use of it in the primative times
doth countenance it, and therefore such
sprinkling or pouring water is not the
Baptism which Christ appointed.
Quest. 8.
What is it to Baptize into
the name of the Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost?
Answ.
It is not to Baptize only with
the naming of those persons, but into
the profession of the Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost, as our Master or Teacher,
as appears by the words of
Paul, 1 Cor.
1. 13. Which show that if the
Corinthians
had been Baptized into the name of
Paul,
they had professed him to be their
Master.
Quest. 9.
Are they rightly Baptized,
who are Baptized into the name of Jesus
Christ, though no other person be named?
Answ.
They are, it being all one to
Baptize into the name of Jesus Christ,
and to Baptize into the name of the Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost, as appears
by the precept,
Acts
2. 38. and practice
Acts 10. 48. Acts
19. 5. Though the expression
of each person be convenient.
Quest. 10.
Are the persons to be Baptized
altogether passive in their Baptism?
Answ.
No; For Baptism is their
duty required of them as well as the
Baptizer,
Acts
2. 38. and
Paul
is commanded
to arise and be Baptized, and
wash away his sins, calling on the name
of the Lord,
Acts
22. 16.
Quest. 11.
Who are appointed to Baptize?
Answ.
They who are appointed to
preach the Gospel,
Matth. 28. 19. Mark
16. 15, 16.
Quest. 12.
Whom are they appointed
to Baptize?
Ausw.
Those who repent of sin, believe
in Christ Jesus, and are his Disciples,
Mat. 28. 19. Mark 16. 16. Acts
2.
38.
Acts
8. 37.
Quest. 13.
Were not Infants Baptized,
when whole households were Baptized,
Acts
16.
•
5. 33.?
Answ.
No; For it appears not there
were any Infants in the houses, and the
texts show they were not Baptized, since
the word was spoken to all in the house,
ver.
32. and all the house rejoiced believing
God,
ver.
34. and else where the
whole house is said to do that which Infants
could not do,
Acts 18. 8. Acts
10.
2. 1
Cor.
16. 15. compared with 1
Cor.
1. 16.
John
4. 53.
Quest. 14.
Is not Christ's speech and
action to little children,
Matth.
19. 14,
15.
Mark 10. 14, 15, 16. Luke
18. 16,
17. a warrant to Baptize Infants?
Answ.
No, but an argument against
it, since Christ did neither Baptize, nor
appoint those little children to be Baptized.
Quest. 15.
Why should not Infants be
Baptized since they were Circumcised?
Answ.
The reason why Male Infants
were to be Circumcised, was a particular
command of God to
Abraham's
house
for special ends belonging to the time
before Christ, which Baptism hath not,
nor is there any command to use Baptism
according to the rule of Circumcision.
Quest. 16.
Did not Baptism come in
the room of Circumcision,
Col.
2. 11,
12. and so to be used as it was?
Answ.
The Apostles words import
not that our Baptism came in the room
of the
Jews
Circumcision, there is no
mention of any bodily Circumcision but
Christ's, which our Baptism cannot be
said to succeed to, as there it is made
the cause of Spiritual Circumcision,
without arrogating that to it which belongs
to Christ alone, and Baptism is
mentioned with faith, as the means
whereby we are in Christ, and complete
in him.
Quest. 17.
May we be said to be complete
as the Jews without infant baptism?
Answ.
Our completeness is in that
we have not ordinances as the Jews had,
but we are complete in that we have all
in Christ without them,
Col.
2. 8, 9, 10.
Quest. 18.
Have not our children then
less privilege then the Jews had?
Answ.
No, for circumcision was a
privilege only for a time, and comparatively
to the estate of the Gentiles
who knew not God, but of itself was
a heavy yoke,
Acts 15. 10. Gal.
5. 1. 2. 3.
Quest. 19.
Why did the Jews then so
much contend for it,
Acts
15. 1. 5.
Answ.
Because they too much esteemed
the Law, and knew not their liberty
by the gospel.
Quest. 20.
Had it not been a discomfort
to the believing Jews to have their
children unbaptized, and so out of Covenant?
Answ.
The want of Baptism to Infants
was never any grievance to believers
in the New Testament, nor were
they thereby put out of the Covenant
of grace.
Quest. 21.
Was not the proper reason
of Circumcising the Infants of the Jews
the interest which they had in the Covenant
to
Abraham,
Gen. 17. 7. to be a
God to him and his seed?
Answ.
The end of Circumcision was
indeed to be a token of the whole Covenant
made with
Abraham, Gen.
17.
4, 5, 6, 7, 8. not only the promise,
ver.
7. But the formal proper distinguishing
reason why some were to be Circumcised,
and others not, was God's command
alone, not the interest in the Covenant;
since
Ishmael
who was not a
child of promise,
Gen. 17. 20, 21. Rom.
9. 6, 7, 8, 9. and those who were in
Abraham's
house, though not of his seed,
were Circumcised, but no Females,
nor Males under eight days old.
Quest. 22.
Was not the Covenant
with
Abraham, Gen.
17. the Covenant
of grace?
Answ.
It was, according to the hidden
meaning of the Holy Ghost, the Evangelical
Covenant,
Gal.
3. 16. But
according to the open sense of the
words, a Covenant of Special benefits
to
Abraham's
inheriting natural posterity,
and therefore not a pure gospel
Covenant.
Quest. 23.
Are not believers children
comprehended under the promise, to be a
God to
Abraham
and his seed?
Gen.
17. 7.
Answ.
No, unless they become
Abraham's
seed according to Election of
grace by faith.
Quest. 24.
Did Circumcision seal the
Gospel covenant?
Rom.
4. 11.
Answ.
That text speaks not of any
ones Circumcision, but
Abraham's,
which sealed the righteousness of faith
he had before Circumcision, and assured
thereby righteousness to all, though
uncircumcised, who should believe as
he did.
Quest. 25.
Are not the Sacraments of
the
Christian,
Church in their nature, seals
of the Covenant of grace?
Answ.
The Scripture doth nowhere
so call them, nor doth it mention this
as their end and use.
Quest. 26.
Doth not
Peter,
Acts 2.
38, 39. exhort the Jews to Baptize themselves
and their children, because the promise
of grace is to believers and their children?
Answ.
Those he then spake to were
not then believers, and therefore the
words,
Acts
2. 39. cannot be understood
of a promise to believers and their children
as such, but the promises to all,
fathers and children, as called of God:
nor are any exhorted to Baptism without
fore-going repentance, nor is the
promise alleged as conferring right to
Baptism, but as a motive to encourage
them to hope for pardon, though they
wished Christ's blood to be on them and
their children,
Matth.
27. 25. In like
sort as
Joseph
did,
Gen.
50. 19, 20,
21.
Quest. 27.
Are not the children of
believers holy with Covenant-holiness,
and so to be Baptized, 1
Cor.
7. 14.
Answ.
There is nothing there ascribed
to the faith of the believer, but
to the marriage relation, which was the
only reason of their lawful living together,
and of which alone it is true
that all the children of those parents,
whereof one is sanctified to the other,
are holy, the rest unclean, that is, illegitimate.
Quest. 28.
Are not the
Gentile
believers
children to be engraffed by Baptism
with their Parents, as the
Jews
children
were by Circumcision?
Rom.
11. 16,
17.
Answ.
The engraffing there is by giving
Faith according to Election, and
therefore not meant of parents and
children by an outward Ordinance into
the visible Church.
Quest. 29.
Are not Infants of believers
Disciples, by their Parents faith to
be Baptized?
Matth. 28. 19. Acts
15.
10.
Answ.
No: For the Disciples there
are only such as are made by preaching
the Gospel to them, nor are any termed
Disciples, but those who heard and
learned: and the putting the yoke,
Acts
15. 10. was by teaching brethren,
ver.
1. and therefore the Disciples,
verse.
10.
not Infants.
Quest. 30.
Are not the Infants of
believers visible members of the
Christian
Church, by a law and ordinance, by God's
promise, to be God to them and their seed,
and precept, to dedicate them to God, unrepealed?
Answ.
There is no such ordinance or
law extant in Scripture, or deducible
from the law of nature, nor are Infants
anywhere reckoned as visible members
of the Christian Church in the New
Testament.
Quest. 31.
Hath not God promised,
Gen.
22. 16, 17, 18. to make every believer
a blessing, so as to cast ordinarily Elect
children on Elect parents, and thereby
warranted Infant Baptism?
Answ.
The promise doth not pertain
to any believers seed but
Abraham's,
who are
Heb. 6. 12, 13, 14. Gal.
3. 8,
9.
Acts
3. 25. expounded to be Christ
and true believers only, who are to
be Baptized, not their Infants, till
they themselves believe in their own
persons.
Quest. 32.
Did not Christ appoint,
Matth.
28. 19. the Disciples to Baptize
children with parents, as the
Jews
did
Proselytes?
Answ.
If the
Jewish
Baptism had
been the pattern for Christian, the Apostles
would have so practiced, but their
not so doing, shows they understood not
it to be Christ's mind.
Quest. 33.
Is not the Infant Baptism
sufficient if it be avouched at age?
Answ.
It is not a sufficient discharge
of their obedience to
Christ's
command,
which requires each person to be Baptized
after his own repentance and believing
in Christ,
Mark 16. 16. Matth.
28. 19.
Acts 2. 38. Ephes.
4. 5.
Quest. 34.
What is the chief end of
Baptism?
Answ.
To testify the Repentance,
Faith, Hope, Love, and Resolution
of the Baptized to follow Christ,
Gal.
3. 27.
Rom. 6. 3, 4. 1 Cor.
15. 29. calling
upon the name of the Lord,
Acts
22. 16.
Quest. 35.
How came Infant Baptism
to be common in the
Christian
Churches?
Answ.
As Infant communion came
from mistake of
John
6. 53. So Infant
Baptism began about the third age of
the Christian Church, from mistake of
John
3. 5. the opinion of its giving
grace, and the necessity of it to save the
Infant dying from perishing, and after
Augustine's
time became common, which
before was not so frequent.
Quest. 36.
Is there any evil in it?
Answ.
Infant Baptism tends much
to harden people in presumption, as if
they were Christians afore they know
Christ, and hinders much the reformation
of Christian Churches, by filling
them with ignorant and scandalous
members, besides the great sin of profaning
God's ordinance.
Quest. 37.
Have not opposers of Infant
Baptism, been wicked in the end?
Answ.
Blessed be God experience
proves the contrary, though some heretofore
proved seditious, and entertained
great errors.
Quest. 38.
Is there any good by Baptizing
persons at age, which might not
be, though Infant Baptism were continued?
Answ.
Yes, For thereby they would
be solemnly engaged to adhere to
Christ, which is a strong tie on the
Consciences, when it is done by a person
understandingly, according to
Christ's mind, besides the assurance
thereby of union and conformity to
Christ, and righteousness and life by
him,
Rom. 6. 3, 4. Gal. 3. 26. 1 Pet.
3.
2. 1.
Quest. 39.
What are Christians to
do when they are Baptized?
Answ.
To associate together in
Church Communion, and to walk according
to their engagement, in obedience
to them, who are over them in the
Lord.
Quest. 40.
Are persons so joined to separate
from those they have joined to upon
defect in outward order and ordinances, or
variation from the rule therein by pastors
or people?
Answ.
No, Unless the evil be such
in Faith, Worship, or Discipline, as is
not consistent with Christianity, or
the state of a visible Church, or is intolerable
oppression, maintained with
obstinacy, after endeavors to cure them,
to which end each member should keep
and act in his station.
FINIS.