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Antipaedobaptism in the Thought of John Tombes
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APPENDIX
A Short Catechism about
Baptism1
(original pagination in brackets)
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: 1659
To the Christian Reader.
Many are the things at this day charged on Antipoedobaptists in
their Doctrine and Practise, 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 than by reading larger [End of
Page 1] 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 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. Which I have thought
necessary to be done because of the importance of restoring right
baptism, the Doctrine of which is one article of the foundation of
Christianity, Heb. 6.2. whereby we put on Christ, Gal. 6.27. united to his
Members, Ephes. 4.5. conformed to Christ, Col. 2.12. Rom. 6.3,4,5.
required with faith to salvation, Mark 16.26. with repentance to
remission of sins, Acts 2.38. with express profession of the
Baptized's faith required, Acts 8.37. upon manifestation of conversion,
Acts 10.47. Acts 11.17. as the duty of the [End of Page 2] Baptized,
and not a meer Priviledge, Acts 22.16. most solemly administered in
the Primitive times, with strict examination and greatest engagement
of persons baptized, accounted the chief evidence of Christianity, of
as much or more moment than the Lords Supper; insomuch that some
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Appendix: A Short Catechism
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conceived from Heb. 6.4. that falling away after it irreparable.
But the pretended Baptism of Infants, as now used slightly and
profanely done, quite different from Christ's Institution and the Apostles
practise by Ministers and people in so wholy and carnal manner as that,
it is upon and with gross untruths and perverting of holy
Scripture, obtruded on unwary souls with a pretence of a Baptismal Vow,
which is a meer fiction, and so many ill consequents both in Christian
conversation and communion and church-constitution and
Government, that were men sensible to their evil as they should be, they
would tremble at such mockery of God, and abuse of so holy an
Ordinance of God's worship and men's souls by it, and with such arrogant
presumption in avowing such a manifest invention of men [End of
Page 3] as God's precept. And to speak truth, if the History of this
corruption were fully cleared, it would be found that the undue
Ministration of this Ordinance was the inlet to the Antichristian darkness
and tyranny which overspread and oppressed the Christian Churches.
The aim of the composer of it is the manifestation of the truth,
wherein doth he rejoyce, and desires thou mayest rejoyce with him. His
motion is that of the Apostle, Phil. 3.15,16. As many of us 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.
Farewel. [End of Page 4]
Quest. 1. Is Baptism with Water an Ordinance of Christ, to be
continued by his Disciples till the end of the World?
Ans. 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 is to be joined
with Preaching of the Gospel, and making Disciples, by Preaching, and
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Antipaedobaptism in the Thought of John Tombes
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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 Christs 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 the Age?
Ans. It appears that Matthew means by the end of the World, the
last time, or day, [End of Page 5] 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 th sunteleia tou
aiwnov2 Mat. 13.39,40,49. Mat. 24.3.) he cannot be understood to mean any other.
Quest. 3. May not the baptizing in Mat. 28.19. Mark 16.16 be
understood of some other Baptism, than that of water?
Ans. The Baptism there, must needs be understood of Baptism
by Water, sith Baptizing, where ever it is made of 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 practise and command, Acts 2.38,41.
Acts 8.12,13,38. Acts 10.47,48. shew that they so understood Christ's
appointment, Matt. 28.19. Mark 16.16.
Quest 4. May it not be meant of Baptizing by the Spirit, or
afflictions?
Ans. It cannot be so understood, sith Baptizing with the Spirit is
no where ascribed to any other than Christ, Mat 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. [End of Page 6]
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Appendix: A Short Catechism
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Quest. 5. Why did Paul then say, Christ sent him not to Baptize?
1 Cor. 1.16.
Ans. 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.
etc. 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?
Ans. The Baptizing appointed by Jesus Christ, is the dipping of
the Whole Body in water in 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 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?
Ans. Neither the Scripture, nor any other antient author call
sprinkling, or pouring water on the Face, Baptism, nor any use of it in
the primitive 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 [End of Page 7] 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
shew that if the Corinthians had been baptized into the name of Paul,
they had professed him to be their master.
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Antipaedobaptism in the Thought of John Tombes
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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?
Answ. Those who repent of sin, believe in [End of Page 8]
Christ Jesus, and are his Disciples, Matth. 28.19. Mark 16.16. Acts
2.38. Acts 8.37.
Quest. 13. Were not Infants baptized, when whole households
were baptized, Acts 16.15.33.?
Answ. No: For it appears not there were any infants in the
houses, and the Texts shew they were not baptized, sith the word was
spoken to all in the house, ver. 32. and all the house rejoyced believing
God. ver 34. and elsewhere 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.
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Appendix: A Short Catechism
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Quest. 14. Is not Christs 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, sith Christ did neither
baptize, nor appoint those little children to be baptized.
Quest 15. Why should not Infants be baptized, sith they were
Circumcised?
Answ. The reason why Male Infants were to be Circumcised, was
a particular Command of God to Abrahams 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? [End of Page 9]
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 compleat in him.
Quest. 17. May we be said to be compleat as the Jews without
Infant Baptism?
Answ. Our compleatness is in that we have not Ordinances as
the Jews had, but we are compleat in that we have all in Christ
without them, Col. 2.8,9,10.
Quest. 18. Have not our Children then less Priviledge than the Jews
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Antipaedobaptism in the Thought of John Tombes
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had?
Answ. No: For Circumcision was a priviledge only for a time,
and comparitively 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 centend 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 out of the Covenant?
Answ. The want of Baptism to Infants [End of Page 10] 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 to 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; sith Ishmael who was not a
Childe of promise, Gen. 17.20.21. Rom. 9.6,7,8,9. and those who were
in Abrahams 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,
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the Evangelical Covenant, Gal. 3.16. But according to the open
sense of the words, a Covenant of special benefits to Abrahams
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. [End of
Page 11]
Answ. No: unless they become Abrahams 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
Abrahams, 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 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.
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[End of Page 12] 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 ingraffed
by Baptism with their Parents, as the Jews Children were by
Circumcision? Rom. 11.16,17.
Answ. The ingraffing 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 there not Infants of Believers Disciples, by their
Parents Faith to be Baptized? Mat. 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 have heard and learned: and the putting the yoke, Acts
15.10. was by teaching Brethren, ver. 1 and therefore the Disciples, ver.
10. not Infants.
Quest. 30. Are not the Infants of believers [End of Page
13]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?
Ans. There is no such Ordinance or Law extant in Scripture, or de
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Appendix: A Short Catechism
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ducible from the Law of Nature, nor are Infants any where
reckoned as visible members of the Christian Church in the New Testament.
Quest. 31. Hath God not promised, Gen. 22.16,17,18. to make
every believer a blessing, so as to cast ordinarily Elect Children on
Elect Parents, and thereby warrant Infant-Baptism.
Ans. The promise doth not pertain to any believers seed but
Abrahams, 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, Mat. 28.19. the Disciples to
Baptize Children with Parents, as the Jews did Proselytes?
Ans. If the Jewish Baptism had been the pattern for Christians,
the Apostles would have so practised, but their not so doing, shews
they understood not it to be Christ's mind.
Quest. 33. Is not the Infant-baptism sufficient if it be avouched
at age?
Ans. It is not a sufficient discharge of their obedience to
Christ's command, which requires each Person to be Baptized after his
[End of Page 14] own Repentance and believing in Christ, Mark
16.16. Mat. 28. 19. Acts 2.38. Ephes. 4.5.
Quest. 34. What is the chief end of Baptism.
Ans. To testifie 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?.
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Antipaedobaptism in the Thought of John Tombes
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Ans. 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
Augustins time became common, which before was not so frequent.
Quest. 36. Is there any evil in it?
Ans. 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 all opposers of Infant-baptism, been wicked
in the end?
Ans. Blessed be God, experience proves the contrary, though
some here to fore proved [End of Page 15] 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?
Ans. Yes, For thereby they would be solemnly engaged to adhere
to Christ, which is a strong tye 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. 3.21.
Quest. 39. What are Christians to do when they are Baptized?
Ans. To associate together in Church-Communion, and to walk
according to their engagement, in obedience to them, who are
over them in the Lord.
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Appendix: A Short Catechism
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Quest. 40. Are Persons so joined to separate from those they
have joined to upon deficit in outward order and Ordinances, or
variation from the Rule therein by Pastors or People?
Ans. No, Unless the evil be such in Faith, Worship, or Discipline,
as is not consistent with Christianity, or the estate of a visible
Church, or is intolerable oppression, maintained with obstinacy,
after endeavours to cure them, to which end each member should
keep and act in his station.
FINIS [End of Page 16]
Notes from Appendix:
1. Original pagination is marked out by brackets (e.g. [End of
Page 1]).
2. The Greek on the Bodleian Library copy was illegible. The
library staff overextended themselves to allow this researcher to
peruse Tombes's A Short Catechism. This Greek phrase found in this
appendix is from the Textus Receptus of Matthew 13:40.The
Stephens 1550 text is that found in George Ricker Berry's edition of
The Interlinear Literal Translation of the Greek New
Testament, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House, 1972.
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