A26924:245
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 10: Point VII. Of the English sort of Godfathers at Baptism.
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.
L. But God will not punish the Children for their Parents sin.
M. Not those that see their fathers sins and forsake them, and live not as their Parents did: and that's all that the Scripture saith for such. But if you will read my two foresaid Disputations for Original sin you will see it fully proved that God punisheth Infants, because they are the guilty, and corrupt seed of guilty and corrupt Parents. Do you believe our Church Articles and yet deny original sin? If Infants have no guilt and sin what need have they of Baptism, or of a Saviour? If they have need of both, sure it is for no actual sin done by ⟨p. 61⟩them, was not the World lost for Adam's sin? Was not Cain's posterity cursed for his sake? Were not all the Infants of the old World, and all the Infants of the Sodomites burnt with fire from Heaven, and the Infants of the Canaanites and Amalekites, &c. killed for their Parents sin. Did not Christ tell the Jews, Mat. 23. that all their Forefathers persecutions should be punished on that Generation? The Jews knew this that said, His blood be on us and on our Children. Our Liturgy saith, Remember not Lord our offences nor the offences of our Forefathers, &c. 2. And yet I tell you, that it is for their own sin that the seed of the wicked perish, sin is made their own, when soul and body were for guilty corrupt Parents, made such by themselves. I do not say that God imputeth their Parents infidelity to them. But this infidelity is the reason of their not being delivered from their own original guilt. If Rebels forfeit Life and Estate, and so their Children live in beggary, and the King offer to restore Father and Children, if the Father will thankfully accept his grace: If the Parent refuse this, his Children will be beggars. Not because the King punisheth them for their Fathers fault, but because he first deprived himself of the Estate which he should have left them, and next because he refused to deliver them. If a Father will set the Pox on his children, and after refuse a Physician that would cure him and them, the Physician doth not punish the children.