A26886:849
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.
But yet we shall attempt the proof of the Negative, and then examine the Arguments which are usually brought for the Affirmative.
If the Children of such Parents have such Right to Baptism, it is either for their own sake (i.e. some Title or ground in themselves.) 2. or for their immediate parents, 3. or their Ancestors, 4. or some Undertakers, 5. or the Church. These five grounds are pleaded by some: And though our Question directly speaketh only of the second; and therefore if any of the rest be proved, it nothing makes against our Negative determination, because we take it Reduplicativè (of the children of such Parents as theirs:) yet we judge it most useful to our main end, that we touch upon each of these several Claims.
If the Children of such Parents have such Right to Baptism, it is either for their own sake (i.e. some Title or ground in themselves.) 2. or for their immediate parents, 3. or their Ancestors, 4. or some Undertakers, 5. or the Church. These five grounds are pleaded by some: And though our Question directly speaketh only of the second; and therefore if any of the rest be proved, it nothing makes against our Negative determination, because we take it Reduplicativè (of the children of such Parents as theirs:) yet we judge it most usefull to our main end, that we touch upon each of these several Claims.
And 1. If the Infants of such Parents have any such Right from any thing in themselves, it is either from somewhat proper to themselves and some others such as they, or somewhat common to all Infants: But neither of these; Ergo — 1. For the first Member, I know nothing said but this: [Possibly they may have some seed of Grace in them, we know not the contrary.] Answ. 1. As to us, its all one, non esse, & non apparere: we must have some Evidence of such a seed of Grace, or else we cannot discern it. 2. Else we must baptize the children of all or any Heathen or Infidel; because for ought we know, they may have some seed of Grace.