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

Answ. 1. But you were told that the Church signifies her sense by the Canons, which forbid the Minister (on Penalty) to refuse any Child, that hath God-Fathers, not excepting Pagans, Infidels, Atheists, or Apostates: Why did you not answer that?

2. A Right before God, signifies either properly to be a Child that is under the promise of Pardon, ⟨p. 18⟩in the sense of 1 Cor. 7. 14. Else were your Children unclean, but now they are holy.] And of such I am of your mind. Or else it signifieth only one that the Minister hath, Coram Deo, a right to Baptize. And so he hath as to any adult Atheist, or Heathen (or his Child) if he deceitfully profess Christianity. I suppose you speak in the first proper sense.

But if you think that the sense of the Rubric you are mistaken. No one knoweth better than Bishop Gunning, and he will tell you otherwise, viz. That God's merciful Covenant giveth us Right to bring any Child in the World to be Baptized for Salvation, as it giveth any Man right to take in an exposed Orphan into his House. And if the Sponsor were to become Proprietor, and take the Child for his own (as Abraham Circumcised the Children born in his House) I would not dispute against it, though I were in doubt: But I have proved to you that the Liturgy, or Canon, oblige the Sponsor to no such thing, nor are they to profess it: and you your self suppose the contrary, that the Parent is the First Covenanter: This Rubric then speaketh of any Child, and you limit it to the Seed of the Faithful, and so Equivocate. At our Conference at the Savoy, 1661. before the Bishops, I put this true Case; [I have in my Parish a profest Infidel, that derideth openly the Scripture, and the Life to come; but for fashion saith beforehand, I will bring my Child to be Baptized, and say as the Book requireth, and refuse my Child if you dare.] The Reverend Bishop Sanderson was in the Chair, and answered me, none of them contradicting, That if I Baptized