A26886:995
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. Spanhemius Epist. ad D. Buch. pa. 14. gives three reasons to prove that Atheists, Epicures, Profane men, qui vitam inter flagitia traducunt, & aperte ostendunt se non habere fidem, quâ creditur, nec spiritum sanctificationis secundum ullum ejus gradum, quamdiu in ista impietate perstant, nec poenitentiam tum profitentur tum spondent, may not lawfully be baptized.
2. Spanhemius Epist. ad D. Buch. pa. 14. gives three reasons to prove that Athrists, Epicures, Profane men, qui vitam inter flagitia traducunt, & aperte ostendunt se non habere fidem, quâ creditur, nec spiritum sanctificationis secundum ullum ejus gradum, quamdiu in ista impietate perstant, nec poenitentiam tum profitentur tum spondent, may not lawfully be baptized.
And our Divines commonly say, In Baptism we engage our selves to a holy Life: those therefore which live not holily are covenant-Breakers, and herefore have not Right to the benefits of the covenant. See Piscat. in Mat. 3. Obser. ex v. 6 8.10. & in Mat. 28. v. 19. & Davenane is Col. 2.12. Peter Martyr in Rom. 6.3. Zanch. in Ephes. 5. loc. de Bapt. cap. 3 Thes. 37. many more I omit.
3. The Doctrine of the Ancients I have given a touch of elsewhere, as to these points. All that I shall now say is to desire the learned Reader (that hath not done it) to peruse all over that book of Augustine de fide & operibus, which is wholly written on this subject. There were then some Christians, whose opinion was, that if a Heathen lived in whoredom, when he turned Christian, he was not to be refused Baptism till he would promise Reformation, and would put away his whore; but because that the Apostles baptized upon believing, and required obedience afterward, and works are to be the consequent fruit of Faith, therefore the Pastor should first baptize them on their profession of Faith, and then help them on to obedience afterward. Yet were these men so far from imagining that it was not Justifying faith that is required to Baptism that upon that