A26886:295
Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending…
Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending them against several sorts of opponents, especially against the second assault of that pious, reverend and dear brother Mr. Thomas Blake / by Richard Baxter ...
London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1658
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. To that useless touch that he hath on a word (whose following explication might have spared him his labour) I may say that our Divines have ordinarily maintained hitherto that there is a mutual covenanting between God and us (and no man more then Mr. Blake) and that in the Sacrament there is a mutual sealing; the receiving being our seal, as the Act is Gods.
Arg 6. If Baptism be instituted to be a seal of the Righteousness of that faith which we have being yet unbaptized, then must we Baptize none that profess not a justifying faith (and their seed) But the Antecedent is true; therefore so is the consequent.
The reason of the consequence is evident in that we must ⟨p. 89⟩use Baptism only according to its nature, and to its instituted ends.
The Antecedent is proved thus: Circumcision was instituted to be a seal of the righteousness of that faith which they had being yet uncircumcised: therefore Baptism is instituted to be a seal of the righteousness of that faith which we have yet unbaptized; the consequence will not be denied by them whom we now deal with: Because they confess that Baptism succeedeth Circumcision. The Antecedent is evident in