and at last such growing up in ignorance, were all taken for Christians, while few knew what Christianity was, or what it was to be Baptized, or what was there promised on their part, or on Christs. And when these came to have Children they were Baptized and bred up as their Parents were, and Christianity for the most part turned into mere Name and Ceremony, the Persons being mostly ignorant of its Essentials.
This corruption of the Church seemed to many to come only from Infant Baptism; whereupon they turned Anabaptists, and taught that men should not be Baptized till they seriously and solemnly professed their own Faith and Repentance.
But wiser men saw that we must not deny Infants their Church state and right because of mens abuse, and their neglect of other Duties: Baptism is one thing, and Personal Confession and Covenanting is another. It is the Omission of these at Age, that hath corrupted the Church, and not Infant Baptism, which entereth them but into a Church state suitable to their infancy. They need not repeat Baptism which they had; but to manifest actual Faith and Repentance which in Infancy they had not. That which should be done, is to make their Transition into the Communion of Adult Christians to be a serious, solemn work, and not a delusory Ceremony. That those Baptized in Infancy may learn what they did, and what Christianity is, as to our Faith, Duty & Hopes: And when they come to true resolution, to own the Baptismal Vow, and as solemnly renew it themselves, as others made it for them.
The English Reformers therefore did retain the Ceremony of Imposition of Hands, and the appropriation of it to the Bishop, and the name of Confirmation, and stretched the use of the Sign ⟨p. 100⟩(Imposition of Hands) to the utmost that they durst, but instead of applying it to Infants they made it the owning of the Baptismal Covenant, and appointed Catechizing to go before it, and call for a solemn performance of it. And were it used as a rational sober owning of the Baptismal Covenant indeed in an understanding, serious manner, for transition into the State of Adult Communicants, it would be the greatest means of a true Reformation, and of Union with the parties that now differ about Church order, that can be used.
Divers of the highest Episcopal Divines write as earnestly for this as any of us: Especially Mr. Elderfield and Dr.
and at last such growing up in ignorance, were all taken for Christians, while few knew what Christianity was, or what it was to be Baptized, or what was there promised on their part, or on Christs. And when these came to have Children they were Baptized and bred up as their Parents were, and Christianty for the most part turned into meer Name and Ceremony, the Persons being mostly ignorant of its Essentials.
This corruption of the Church seemed to many to come only from Infant Baptism; whereupon they turned Anabaptists, and taught that men should not be Baptized till they seriously and solemnly professed their own Faith and Repentance.
But wiser men saw that we must not deny Infants their Church state and right because of mens abuse, and their neglect of other Duties: Baptism is one thing, and Personal Confession and Covenanting is another. It is the Omission of these at Age, that hath corrupted the Church, and not Infant Baptism, which entreth them but into a Church state suitable to their infancy. They need not repeat Baptism which they had; but to manifest actual Faith and Repentance which in Infancy they had not. That which should be done, is to make their Transition into the Communion of Adult Christians to be a serious, solemn work, and not a delusory Ceremony. That those Baptized in Infancy may learn what they did, and what Christianity is, as to our Faith, Duty & Hopes: And when they come to true resolution, to own the Baptismal Vow, and as solemnly renew it themselves, as others made it for them.
The English Reformers therefore did retain the Ceremony of Imposition of Hands, and the appropriation of it to the Bishop, and the name of Confirmation, and stretcht the use of the Sign ⟨p. 100⟩(Imposition of Hands) to the utmost that they durst, but instead of applying it to Infants they made it the owning of the Baptismal Covenant, and appointed Catechizing to go before it, and call for a solemn performance of it. And were it used as a rational sober owning of the Baptismal Covenant indeed in an understanding, serious manner, for transition into the State of Adult Communicants, it would be the greatest means of a true Reformation, and of Union with the parties that now differ about Church order, that can be used.
Divers of the highest Episcopal Divines write as earnestly for this as any of us: Especially Mr. Elderfield and Dr.
