A26924:219
The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated…
The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated and argued by Richard Baxter ; who earnestly beseecheth rulers and clergy not to divide and destroy the land and cast their own souls on the dreadful guilt and punishment of national perjury ...
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1689
Chapter 9: Point VI. Of the Article of Baptized Infants Salvation.
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.
M. I make it good two ways; men must say they are certain that are not certain. 1. No man can be certain that God's word saith that which it doth not say: But God's word doth not say directly, or by consequence that all baptized ⟨p. 53⟩dying Infants are undoubtedly saved. He that saith there is such a word, let him produce it. It is suspicious that these same men that subscribe, that nothing is necessary to Salvation, but what is contained in the Scripture, or may be proved by it, would impose this belief on us, and never tell us so much as by a Marginal citation of any one text of Scripture where it may be found. All that ever by talk I could hear of them is, Gal. 3. 26, 27. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. As if they would have us believe. 1. That all Atheists and Infidels children have faith in Christ Jesus if they be but baptized. 2. Or that all the Galatians that Paul wrote to were in a state of certain Salvation, when it is apparent that he spake to the adult, whom elsewhere he saith he feareth lest he have bestowed on them labour in vain, and as bewitched men, they had disobeyed the truth, &c. 3. Or that all that put on Christ Sacramentally by Profession and Baptism were in a state of certain salvation, even Simon Magus. How commonly when they confute the Separatists, that allege the titles of Saints, holy, children of God, &c. given to all the Churches by the Apostles, do they themselves expound it of a sanctity of Profession and Relation as distinct from a saving state of Grace, as to many of the visible members of the Church. And must we now believe that the visible and the invisible membership are of equal extent. If this prove that all the baptized adult have put on Christ savingly, and have right to Heaven, it will confute the universal Church that hath ever believed the contrary, and it will be good news to all worldly hypocrites: But St. Peter saith, It is not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good Conscience to God. And he told Simon Magus that he had no part in that matter, not for apostasy, but because his heart was not right in the sight of God. And sure it is no strait gate by which men enter into a state of Salvation, if all the hypocrite flagitious sinners are in it, that will but be baptized.
M. I make it good two ways; men must say they are certain that are not certain. 1. No man can be certain that God's word saith that which it doth not say: But God's word doth not say directly, or by consequence that all baptized