322 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. S. The question in baptism is asked before the sacrament is received. A. Because the child is in the action of receiving, it may be said to have received. T. This question and answer in baptism is an untruth ; because the sponsor professeth, in the name ofthe child, that the child believeth, when in all ordinary cases it does not, and cannot believe. A. The interrogatories are ancient; and it was the custom in the primitive church to have sponsors, who, in the name of the child, did promise and profess that the child did believe. T. Can it then be credible to any man that children newly born do believe ? How can they believe that which they have not heard ? And if they had heard, how could they 'so understand, as with the heart to believe unto righteous- ness ? And concerning the cross in baptism, and other ceremonies, were they ever so ancient, or ever so good in the institution, if they be now abused to idolatry, and unnecessary, or of no use in the church, they ought to be abolished. This appears from the case of the brazen serpent, which, though set up originallyby the command of God, and a monument of his special favour; yet, being abused to idolatry, was afterwards broken in pieces and utterly destroyed; and all this was done according to the will of God. So the cross, being never of any use in bap- tism, and being as much abused to idolatry as ever the brazen serpent was, and always tending to promote super- stition and give offence to persons of tender consciences, surely it ought to be abolished. To impose the necessity of the cross in baptism, is not only unsupported byscripture, and wholly founded in superstition, but a dangerous human appendage added to what God has wisely and graciously appointed, And this is not my opinion only, but the opinion of the foreign reformed churches, as appears from the Harmony ofConfessions. A. You are wont to find fault with dumb ceremonies, and you blame those which have any signification. But in the use of the cross, the learned Beza left the churches to their own liberty. Treasurer. That was wisely done. T. Beza would not condemn the churches for using the cross, nor oppose their liberty. But his opinion is, that it ought to be abolished ; nay, he adviseth the ministers to
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