Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending…

And I think that it is a considerable work of Charity to get the children of Infidels or such among us are nominal Christians and Infidels indeed, that they may have that benefit by you which they cannot have from their natural parents.

The 5th. Title that is commonly pleaded for the Right of the children of notoriously ungodly Parents to baptism, is, upon the account of the Churches faith, and the Magistrates Authority over them. For this, it is pleaded, 1. That the Magistrate or sovereign Ruler hath power to dispose of his Subjects, and therefore to make Covenants for them, and in their names, as much as a Parent hath: for the power of a Magistrate is greater than of a Parent, in that the Magistrate may put children to death, and so may not a Parent.

The 5th. Title that is commonly pleaded for the Right of the children of notoriously ungodly Parents to baptism, is, upon the account of the Churches faith, and the Magistrates Authority over them. For this, it is pleaded, 1. That the Magistrate or soveraign Ruler hath power to dispose of his Subjects, and therefore to make Covenants for them, and in their names, as much as a Parent hath: for the power of a Magistrate is greater than of a Parent, in that the Mag•strate may put children to death, and so may not a Parent.

Answ. 1. The Sovereign hath a Governing power above a Parent: but it is not on that the great contract or right is grounded. But the Parent hath a greater propriety in the child than the Governor; and so hath more Right to dispose of him in this case. The Sovereigns power is in order to the Good of the Common-wealth; the Parents is for the Good of the Child directly. 2. Bodin (and some others) think that ⟨p. 266⟩