A26892:6304
A Christian Directory
A Christian directory, or, A sum of practical theology and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortify every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.A Christian directory, or, A summ of practical theologie and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortifie every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Answ. I. TO the first question; All men have not the same thoughts either of their Original, or of their present use.
1. Some think that they were Sponsors or Sureties for the Parents rather than the child at first: And that when many in times of Persecution, Heresy and Apostasy, did baptize their children this month or year, and the next month or year apostatize and deny Christ themselves, that the Sponsors were only credible Christians witnessing that they believed that the Parents were credible firm believers, and not like to apostatize. 2. Others think that they were undertakers, that if the Parents did apostatize or dye, they would see to the Christian Education of the child themselves. 3. Others think that they did both these together: (which is my opinion;) viz. That they witnessed the probability of the parents fidelity; But promised that if they should either apostatize or dye, they would see that the children were piously educated. 4. Others think that they were absolute undertakers that the children should be piously educated, whether the Parents dyed or apostatized or not: So that they went joint-undertakers with the Parents in their life time. 5. And I have lately met with some that maintain that the God-fathers and God-mothers, become Proprietors, and Adopt the child, and take him for their own, and that this is the sense of the Church of England. But I believe them not for these reasons.
1. Some think that they were Sponsors or Sureties for the Parents rather than the child at first: And that when many in times of Persecution, Heresie and Apostasie, did baptize their children this month or year, and the next month or year apostatize and deny Christ themselves, that the Sponsors were only credible Christians witnessing that they believed that the Parents were credible firm believers, and not like to apostatize. 2. Others think that they were undertakers, that if the Parents did apostatize or dye, they would see to the Christian Education of the child themselves. 3. Others think that they did both these together: (which is my opinion;) viz. That they witnessed the probability of the parents fidelity; But promised that if they should either apostatize or dye, they would see that the children were piously educated. 4. Others think that they were absolute undertakers that the children should be piously educated, whether the Parents dyed or apostatized or not: So that they went joint-undertakers with the Parents in their life time. 5. And I have lately met with some that maintain that the God-fathers and God-mothers, become Proprietors, and Adopt the child, and take him for their own, and that this is the sense of the Church of England. But I believe them not for these reasons.