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FOUNDATIONS*9**Infants”. 9 *The*sermon*was*immediately*attacked*by*the*leading*Baptist,*John*Tombes,*and*was*equally*speedily*defended*in*a*250:page*treatise,*A%defence%of% infantIbaptism% in% answer% to% two% treatises,% and% an% Appendix% to% them%concerning%it,%lately%published%by%Mr.%Jo.%Tombes:%wherein%that%controversie%is%fully%discussed*(1646).**The* minutes* of* the* Assembly 10 *record* a* remarkable* degree* of* discord*over*many*issues,*including*the*following:**(1) Whether*baptism*should*be*applied*to*the*head*and*face*of*a*child. 11 *(2) Whether* baptism* should* involve* one* or* three* administrations* of*water*(reflecting*the*Trinitarian*“name”*of*Matt*28:19).*(3) Could* a* midwife* bring* a* child* for* baptism* in* circumstances* where*the*mother*and*father*were*unable*to*attend*and*the*life*of*the*child*was* under* an* imminent* threat* of* survival?* Questions* of* delaying*baptisms*were*also*discussed.**(4) Whether* the* parents* ought* to* be* catechised* at* the* time* of* the*baptism. 12 *(5) Are*private*baptisms*allowable?*(6) Can*infants*whose*parents*are*ungodly*be*baptised*(as*was*the*practice*among*the*Continental*Reformed*churches)? 13 *(7) The*efficacy*of*baptism.**It* should* be* remembered* that* some* of* the* proposals* offered* by* the*Westminster* Divines* were* revolutionary.* Outlawing* private* baptisms,* for*example,* was* passed* relatively* easily* despite* evident* lack* of* precedent.*Edmund* Calamy* (1600:1666),* who* presided* over* one* of* the* largest* cong:*********************************************************************9*Later* published,* it* amounted* to* over* 70* pages.* See,* http://www.westminsterassembly*.org/transcribed:works/a:seromon:of:the:baptizing:of:infants/.*Accessed*9/6/12.*10*Until* the* publication* of* Chad* van* Dixhoorn* (ed.),* The% Minutes% and% Papers% of% the%Westminster%Assembly,%1643I1653,* 5* Vols.* (Oxford* University* Press)* later* this* year* (2012),* all*conclusions*based*on*previous*editions*of*the*minutes*of*the*assembly*are*tentative.%%11*The*Directory*included*the*instruction,*“by*pouring*or*sprinkling*of*the*water*on*the*face*of*the*child.”*12*Issues*of*infant*mortality*loomed*large*in*the*seventeenth*century*and*a*sense*of*urgency*was*understandable,*particularly*if*private*baptisms*were*deemed*unlawful.*Regulative*Principle*issues*surfaced*(argued*vociferously*by*Samuel*Rutherford):*it*was*deemed*insufficient*to*argue*the* merits* of* catechising* without* direct* Scriptural* warrant* for* the* practice.* It* was,* in* fact,*Parliament,* rather* than* the* Assembly,* who* denied* the* validity* of* public* catechising.*Presbyterians*have*long*since*reversed*the*hand*of*the*State*in*the*baptism*of*children.***13*Guilielmus*Apollonius,*a*minister*at*Middelburg,*wrote*to*the*Assembly*arguing*for*the*position*that*so*long* as* the* children* came* from* “godly* stock,”* they* ought* to* be* baptised.* The*practice*was*based*on*the*belief*that*the*nation*can*be*regarded*as*federally*holy.*Apollonius*visited* London* in* the* summer* of* 1645* and* was* invited* to* attend* the* Assembly.* His* book,* A%Consideration% of% Certaine% Controversies,* was* given* the* unusual* approbation* of* a* public*recognition*by*the*prolocutor,*William*Twisse.*See,*Robert*Letham,* The%Westminster%Assembly*(Phillipsburg:*Presbyterian*&*Reformed,*2009),*326:27.*%%%!