I was just reading John Tombes’ Catechism about Baptism. Tombes was an antipaedobaptist. “After questioning the infants’ interest in the covenant while delivering the 1627 catechetical lectures at Magdelan Hall, Oxford, John Tombes pondered his views for 15 years before he finally came to credobaptist convictions.” Here are a few highlights:

Q. 16. Did not Baptism come in the room of Circumcision, Col. 2.11,12. and so to be used as it was?

A. 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 suceed 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 compleat in him.

Q. 20. Had it not been a discomfort to the believing Jews to have their Children unbaptized, and out of the Covenant?

A. 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.

Q. 25. Are not the Sacraments of the Christian Church in their nature, Seals of the Covenant of Grace?

A. The Scripture doth nowhere so call them, nor doth it mention this as their end and use.

Q. 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?

A. 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 promise is to all, Fathers and Children as called of God; nor are any exhorted to Baptism without fore-going repentance: nor is the promise alledged as conferring right to Baptism, but as a motive to encourage them and hope for pardon, though they wished Christs blood to be on them and their Children. Matth. 27.25. In like sort as Joseph did, Gen. 50.19,20,21.

Q. 35. How came Infant-baptism to be common in the Christian Churches?

A. 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 Augustin’s time became common, which before was not so frequent.

FINIS