The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter…

§ 1. Your 15th Section is against my greatest Objection; the manner of baptizing by God-fathers sole sponsion, in the Liturgy: Where you take your own Order, and not mine (to satisfy your self,) and put four questions, and overlook the main, or say as good as nothing to it. My first question is, Which way the Child cometh to have right to Baptism, any more than all the Infidels Children in the world? That is, Whether the mere Sponsion of God-fathers who adopt not the Child, nor take him for their own, nor are at all required to do so, do give or prove a Right to Baptism (and consequently to undoubted Salvation or pardon) in all the Infants of Apostates, Sadducees, Infidels, Brutists, Arians, Socinians, Wicked men, Atheists; yea or of any other? I told you how ⟨p. 27⟩Conformists and other Divines here differ; but you easily pass by the difficulty.

§ 1. YOur 15th Section is against my greatest Objection; the manner of baptizing by God-fathers sole sponsion, in the Liturgy: Where you take your own Order, and not mine (to satisfie your self,) and put four questions, and overlook the main, or say as good as nothing to it. My first question is, Which way the Child cometh to have right to Baptism, any more than all the Infidels Children in the world? That is, Whether the meer Sponsion of God-fathers who adopt not the Child, nor take him for their own, nor are at all required to do so, do give or prove a Right to Baptism (and consequently to undoubted Salvation or pardon) in all the Infants of Apostates, Sadduces, Infidels, Brutists, Arrians, Socinians, Wicked men, Atheists; yea or of any other? I told you how ⟨p. 27⟩Conformists and other Divines here differ; but you easily pass by the difficulty.

2. And the next question is, Whether the Church of England require any ground of title in the Infant besides the Sponsion of the fore-described God-fathers, and God's general Promise? And I have proved that they do not: It is not the Parents Christianity or Faith that they require, nor the Grandfathers, nor any Pro-parents, or Adopters or Proprietors. Nor do they ask, Whose Child it is? but forbid us to refuse any that have God-fathers; nor do they suffer the Parent to be one of the God-fathers, but forbid him so much as to speak there, as dedicating his own Child to God, and forbid us to urge him to be present: Yet are they utterly disagreed of the Child's title: Some say it is from God's Covenant only; and that all Children on Earth have title, and want but one to offer them to Baptism, as he may take in an exposed Orphan. Some say that the God-fathers Act is his Title to Baptism. Some say, it is the Churches Faith. And by the Church some mean the Ministers; some mean that Parish; some mean the Diocesan Church; some the National Church; and some the Universal Church: But you seem to think the title is from the Parent, but you speak it not out, nor much meddle with the case; and the Church seemeth not to be of that mind; though St. Paul say [Else were your Children unclean, but now are they holy.]