2 np^>1> velokeakh, which signifies, by art and industry, to catch souls, as fowlers do to take birds.
3 They that are wise cannot but observe much of this spirit upon all the profane, igno- rant, and malignant persons in the nation.
4 The petitioners seemed to be like those in Mat. xxii. 4G, that were nonplussed by the question Christ put to them, &c.
4 My first sermon, preached before the Parliament, was on the 26th December 1648. My second was preached on the 8th of October 16-50, for that great victory the Lord of hosts gave our army over the Scots army in battle at Dunbar, Sept. 3. 1650, and both are printed by their order ; besides my book called ' Precious Remedies against Satan's De- vices,' which came forth this year, which some of them have seen.
xlviii APPENDIX TO MEMOIR.
tainly Christ will more and more cloud those that labour to cloud the shillings forth of his Spirit in the souls of his servants. Nor yet am I kin to Licinius, who held learning to be the commonwealth's rat's- bane. Neither am I kin to those that labour might and main the overthrow of learning, in order to their lifting up Jack Straw. It is sad when men are not so ingenuous as to favour that in others Avhich they can't find in themselves.
Further, The petitioners say that I refuse to baptize their chil- dren, &c.
A us. 1. This gives me leave to premise by the way that it is my judgment, upon many grounds moving me to it, that baptism is to be administered to the children of believing parents, who walk in the order of the gospel ; and my practice herein doth answer to my judg- ment, as is well known to many.1
2. But, in the second place, I confess I have refused, and shall re- fuse, to baptize the children of profane, ignorant, malignant, and scandalous persons ; and that upon these following grounds :2
[I.] Because I cannot find any warrant in my commission from Christ so to do.* I do seriously profess that I have made a diligent search and strict inquiry into that commission that I have received from the Lord for the dispensing of holy things, and I cannot find any- thing in my commission that will bear me out in the baptizing the children of those parents that are profane, ignorant, malignant, scan- dalous, &c, and therefore I cannot do it, lest I should hear Christ and conscience sounding that sad word in my ears, ' Who hath required this at your hand?' Isa. i. 12.
[2.] Because such persons that are profane, ignorant, malignant, scandalous, &c, if they were now to be baptized themselves, ought not to be baptized, they having no right to baptism, as these scriptures in the margin do evidence ;3 therefore, such parents cannot justly, upon any Scripture account, challenge baptism for their children, who have no right to it themselves. All that knoAV anything are not ignorant of this, that it is the parents' interest in the covenant that gives the child right to baptism. Now, how profane, ignorant, scandalous parents can give their children right to baptism, when they have no right to it themselves, is a thing that I am no ways able to reach, and a thing, I judge, too hard for any to prove, Hosea ii. 2, 3.
[3.] Because the children of parents, whereof neither can be judged to be a believer, ought not to be baptized till the child grow up to manifest his own faith, as these scriptures, among many others that might be produced, prove, Gen. xvii. 7-9 ; Acts ii. 39-41 ; 1 Cor. vii. 14, &c.
[4.j Because profane, ignorant, scandalous persons, &c, are visibly in covenant with Satan ; and therefore to administer baptism, the seal of the covenant, to their children, upon their accounts who are visibly in covenant with Satan, cannot but be a notorious profan-
1 Gen. xvii. ; Acts ii. 38, 39 ; 1 Cor. vii. 14, &c.
2 Non parentum aid majorum author itas, sed Dei docentis imperium, the command of God must outweigh all authority and example of men. — Jerome.
3 Mat. iii. 6-12; Mark i. 4, 5 ; Acts ii. 38, 41 ; Luke iii. 3 ; Acts xiii. 24 ; viii. 12, 31-40 ; x. 45-48 ; xviii. 8 ; xxii. Hi, 17, &c. ; so Ps. 1. 1U, 17. / /
* //f^ rr/,i/,,t/srr;^ . -c/ /.-, A A 'tar ■ • / <-- •«''■' ■" *" -
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. xlix
ing of the ordinances ; therefore I dare not do it.1 Now, that such persons are visibly in covenant with Satan is clear: Isa. xxviii. 15, ' Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement ; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us : for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves.' Ver. 18, ' And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand ; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it/ Not that they had formally made a covenant with Satan, but their ways and courses were such as did proclaim to the world that they had, as it were, formally made a covenant with hell and death. Therefore, to apply this blessed ordi- nance to their children, who are thus invisibly in covenant with Satan, and who are not capable thereof through want of divine warrant, can- not, doubtless, but be esteemed a high profaning of it.
[5.] Because I may not yield blind obedience, nor do anything doubtingly ; both which I should do should I baptize their children, who are profane, ignorant, scandalous, mockers and scoffers at God and godliness, &c.
[6.] Because, by administering that holy ordinance to the children of profane, ignorant, scandalous persons, I shall make myself guilty of nourishing and cherishing in such wicked persons such vain opinions and conceits that cannot but be very prej udicial to their souls ; as that they have a right to that precious ordinance, when they have none ; that God hath taken their children into covenant, as well as the chil- dren of the best believers in the world, when he hath not ; that God is more favourable and loving to them than indeed he is ; and that their case is not so bad as some would make it, &c. All which opi- nions and conceits, with many more of the same stamp that might be named, cannot but prove many ways prejudicial to mens' immortal souls.
P shall forbear the laying down any more reasons why I have not, nor shall not, baptize their children who are profane, ignorant, malig- nant, scandalous, mockers and scoffers at God and godliness ; judging that these may be sufficient to satisfy all intelligent men.2
Further, these petitioners say, that 'I will not give them the Lord's supper.'
Ans. Though I do give the Lord's supper to those to whom of right it belongs, yet I cannot, I dare not, give it to profane, ignorant, malig- nant, scandalous persons. I had, with Calvin, rather die, than that this hand of mine should give the things of God to the condemners of God. And with Chrysostom, I had rather give my life to a murderer, than Christ's body to an unworthy receiver ; and had rather to suffer my own blood to be poured out like water, than to tender Christ's