28. The author of the book of ecclesiastical hierarchy, attributed to St. Denis the Areopagite, takes notice, that certain unholy persons and enemies to the Christian religion think it a ridiculous thing, that infants, who as yet cannot understand the Divine mysteries, should be partakers of the sacraments; and that professions and abrenunciations should be made by others for them and in their names. He answers, that " Holy men, governors of churches, have so taught, having received a tradition from their fathers and elders in Christ." By which answer of his, as it appears that he himself was later than the Areopagite; so it is so early by him affirmed, that even then there was an ancient tradition for the baptism of infants, and the use of godfathers in the ministry of the sacrament. Concerning which, it having been so ancient a constitution of the church, it were well if men would rather humbly and modestly observe, than, like scorners, deride it; in which they shew their own folly, as well as immodesty. For what indecency or incongruity is it, that our parents, natural or spiritual, should stipulate for us, when it is agreeable to the practice of all the laws and transactions of the world, an effect of the communion of saints, and of Christian economy? For why may not infants be stipulated for, as well as we? All were included in the stipulation made with Adam; he made a losing bargain for himself, and we smarted for his folly: and if the faults of parents, and kings, and relatives, do bring evil upon their children, and subjects, and correlatives, it is but equal, that our children may have benefit also by our charity and piety. But concerning making an agreement for them, we find that God was confident concerning Abraham, that " he would teach his children:" and there is no doubt but parents have great power, by strict education and prudent discipline, to efform the minds of their children to virtue. Joshua did expressly undertake for his household: "I and my house will serve the Lord." And for children we may better do it, because, till they are of perfect choice, no government in the world is so great as that of parents over their children, in that which can concern the parts of this question; for they rule over their understandings, and children know nothing but what they are told, and they believe it infinitely. And it is a rare art of the Spirit, to engage parents to bring them up well, " in the nurture and admonition of the Lord;" and they are persons obliged by a superinduced band; they are to give them instructions and holy principles, as they give them meat. And it is certain, that parents may better stipulate for their children, than the church can for men and women: for they may be present impostors and hypocrites, as the church story tells of some, and consequently are παραβαπτίσται, not really converted, and ineffectively baptized; and, the next day, they may change their resolution, and grow weary of their vow. And that is the most that children can do, when they come to age: and it is very much in the parents, whether the children shall do any such thing or no. purus et insons (Ut me collaudem,) si vivo et charus amicis, Ipse mihi custos incorruptissimus omnes Circum doctores aderat. Quid multa? pudicum ob hoc nunc Laus illi debetur, et à me gratia major. For education can introduce a habit and a second nature, against which children cannot kick, unless they do some violence to themselves and their inclinations. And although it fails too often whenever it fails, yet we pronounce prudently concerning future things, when we have a less influence into the event than in the present case, (and, therefore, are more unapt persons to stipulate,) and less reason in the thing itself, (and therefore have not so much reason to be confident.) Is not the greatest prudence of generals instanced in their foreseeing future events, and guessing at the designs of their enemies? concerning which they have less reason to be confident, than parents of their children's belief of the Christian creed. To which I add this consideration; That parents or godfathers may therefore safely and prudently promise, that their children shall be of the Christian faith; because we not only see millions of men and women, who not only believe the whole creed only upon the stock of their education, but there are none that ever do renounce the faith of their country and breeding, unless they be violently tempted by interest or weakness, antecedent or consequent. He that sees all men almost to be Christians, because they are bid to be so, need not question the fittingness of godfathers promising in behalf of the children, for whom they answer. y Horat. lib. i. Sat. 6. 29. And however the matter be for godfathers, yet the tradition of baptizing infants passed through the hands of Irenæus: "Omnem ætatem sanctificans per illam quæ ad ipsam erat similitudinem. Omnes enim venit per semetipsum salvare, omnes, inquam, qui per eum renascuntur in Deum, infantes, et parvulos, et pueros, et juvenes, et seniores. Ideo per omnem venit ætatem, et infantibus infans factus, sanctificans infantes; in parvulis parvulus2," &c. "Christ did sanctify every age by his own susception of it, and similitude to it. For he came to save all men by himself; I say, all who by him are born again unto God, infants, and children, and boys, and young men, and old men. He was made an infant to infants, sanctifying infants; a little one to the little ones, &c." And Origen is express: "Ecclesia traditionem ab apostolis suscepit etiam parvulis dare baptismum; The church hath received a tradition from the apostles, to give baptism to children." And St. Cyprian, in his epistle to Fidus, gives account of this article: for being questioned by some less skilful persons, whether it were lawful to baptize children before the eighth day, he gives account of the whole question: and a whole council of sixty-six bishops, upon very good reason, decreed, that their baptism should at no hand be deferred; though whether six, or eight, or ten days, was no matter, so there be no danger or present necessity. The whole epistle is worth the reading, 30. But besides these authorities of such, who writ before the starting of the Pelagian questions, it will not be useless to bring the discourses of them and others, I mean the reason upon which the church did it both before and after. 31. Irenæus's argument was this: Christ took upon him our nature, to sanctify and to save it; and passed through the several periods of it, even unto death, which is the symbol Lib. ii. c. 39. Vide etiam Constitut. Clementis. βαπτίζετε δὲ ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐκτρέφετε ἀυτὰ ἐν παιδείᾳ καὶ νουθεσίᾳ θεοῦ. Lib. v. ad Rom. c. 6. Idem Hom. 14. in Lucam, et lib. 8. Hom. 8. in Levitic. a. Irenæus. and effect of old age; and therefore it is certain he did sanctify all the periods of it: and why should he be an infant, but that infants should receive the crown of their age, the purification of their stained nature, the sanctification of their persons, and the saving of their souls by their infant Lord and elder Brother? 32. "Omnis enim anima eousque in Adam censetur, donec in Christo recenseatur; tamdiu immunda, quamdiu recenseaturb:" Every soul is accounted in Adam, till it be new accounted in Christ; and so long as it is accounted in Adam, so long it is unclean; and we know, "no unclean thing can enter into heaven:" and therefore our Lord hath defined it, "Unless ye be born of water and the Spirit, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven;" that is, ye cannot be holy. It was the argument of Tertullian; which the rather is to be received, because he was one less favourable to the custom of the church, in his time, of baptizing infants, which custom he noted and acknowledged, and hath also, in the preceding discourse, fairly proved. And indeed, (that St. Cypriand may superadd his symbol,) "God, who is no accepter of persons, will also be no accepter of ages. For if to the greatest delinquents, sinning long before against God, remission of sins be given, when afterwards they believe, and from baptism and from grace no man is forbidden; how much more ought not an infant be forbidden, who, being new born, hath sinned nothing, save only that being in the flesh, born of Adam, in his first birth he hath contracted the contagion of an old death? who therefore comes the easier to obtain remission of sins, because to him are forgiven not his own, but the sins of another man. None ought to be driven from baptism and the grace of God, who is merciful, and gentle, and pious unto all; and therefore much less infants, who more deserve our aid, and more need the Divine mercy, because, in the first beginning of their birth, crying and weeping, they can do nothing but call for mercy and relief." "For this reason it was," saith Origen", "that they, to whom the secrets of the Divine mysteries were committed, did baptize their infants, because there was born with them the impurities of sin," which did need material ablution, as a sacrament of spiritual purification. For that it may appear, that our sins have a proper analogy to this sacrament, the body itself is called "the body of sin :" and therefore the washing of the body is not ineffectual towards the great work of pardon and abolition. Indeed, after this ablution there remains concupiscence, or the material part of our misery and sin: for Christ, by his death, only took away that which, when he did die for us, he bare in his own body upon the tree. Now Christ only bare the punishment of our sin, and therefore we shall not die for it; but the material part of the sin Christ bare not: sin could not come so near him; it might make him sick and die, but not disordered and stained. He was pure from original and actual sins; and therefore that remains in the body, though the guilt and punishment be taken off, and changed into advantages and grace; and the actual are relieved by the Spirit of grace descending afterwards upon the church, and sent by our Lord to the same purpose. b Tertullian. S. Cyprian, ep. ad Fidum. • Lib. de Anima, c. 39 et 42. 33. But it is not rationally to be anwsered what St. Ambrose says, "Quia omnis peccato obnoxia, ideo omnis ætas sacramento idonea:" for it were strange that sin and misery should seize upon the innocent and most unconsenting persons; and that they only should be left without a sacrament, and an instrument of expiation. And although they cannot consent to the present susception, yet neither do they refuse; and yet they consent as much to the grace of the sacrament as to the prevarication of Adam; and because they suffer under this, it were but reason they should be relieved by that. And " it were better," as Gregory Nazianzen affirms, " that they should be consigned and sanctified without their own knowledge, than to die without their being sanctified;" for so it happened to the circumcised babes of Israel: and if the conspersion and washing the door-posts with the blood of a lamb did sacramentally preserve all the first-born of Goshen; it cannot be thought impossible or unreasonable, that the want of understanding in children should hinder them from the blessing of a sacrament, and from being redeemed and f S. Ambros. de Abraham. Patriar. lib. ii. c. 11. 8 Greg. Νaz. Κρεῖσσον γὰρ ἀναισθήτως ἀγιασθῆναι, ἢ ἀπελθεῖν ἀσφράγιστα καὶ ἀτέλεστα. – Orat. xl. in S. Bapt. |