A26886:681
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.
They add also in the same place [that All who are baptized in the name of Christ do renounce, and by their baptism are bound to fight against the Devil the World, and the flesh.]
They add also in the same place [that All who are bap•ized in the name of Christ do renounce, and by their baptism are bound to fight against the Devil the World, and the flesh.]
All this is further manifest in our daily administration of Baptism. I never heard any man baptize an Infant but upon the Parents, or Susceptors, or Offerers Profession of a justifying faith. Nor do I believe that Mr. Blake himself doth baptize any otherwise; though he dispute against this, and for another Baptism. The grounds of my conjecture are, 1. Because I suppose he is loth to be so singular as to forsake the course of the Church in all ages: And therefore I conjecture that he requireth them to profess that they believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and that they renounce the world, the Flesh, and the Devil. 2. Because he so often professeth that he taketh the baptized to be in covenant with God, and that this covenant is by them entered in baptism & he saith that he knoweth but of one Covenant, and that is the covenant of saving grace; and that they are presently obliged (debetur quovis tempore) and therefore it is not only for a distant futurity that they engage themselves. And if this be so, it is past doubt that they profess a saving faith. For the Gospel hath two parts, 1. the Narrative, or History of Christs person, and sufferings, resurrection &c. 2. and the offer of Christ and life to sinners; Accordingly Faith hath two parts; 1. the Assent to the History, or to the truth of the Christian Doctrine, (and this Mr. Blake maintaineth to be necessary) and 2. Consent to the offer: And this is called the Receiving of Christ: And this is our Internal covenanting, which Mr. Blake confesseth necessary. For the covenanting of the Heart is this very consent, with a resolution for future duty: and the covenanting of the mouth is the Expression or Profession of this Consent, with a promise of the necessary ⟨p. 206⟩