The nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of their judgment in certain things…

14. Many Divines say, that Faith it self hath not evidence; (though we think that it hath evidence of the Truth of the Revelation, though the thing revealed be not visible or evident in it self:) And more confess that [undoubted certainty] is not Essential to the saving belief of Christ, and of a life to come: And that true Faith may be saving, though weak: And that Christ silenced not his Disciples when he reproved the weakness of their Faith: And that to doubt of this Article about Infants is not so dangerous as to doubt of Christ or Heaven.

IX. All Ministers must deny Baptism to those Infants that have no such Godfathers and Godmothers as aforesaid, though their Parents be true Christians, and offer them to Baptism. For this is the only order or form of Baptizing there described, all other is forbidden, and we subscribe to use no other form in administration of the Sacraments. 2. Yet some Conformists say, that the Book bindeth them to do thus, but not to omit it, and baptize no otherwise. But others of them say, 1. That the Rubric determineth that [for every child to be baptized, there shall be three as Godfathers and Godmothers] and that the whole Office respecteth them as Parties, and speaketh to them, and admitteth no Parent to speak; and ⟨p. 175⟩that if Assenting to, Approving and Consenting to this form and Rubric, and subscribing a Covenant to use no other form, signify not that we will use no other, no words can bind such equivocators. 3. In the sense of the Liturgy, to put Infants from Baptism, is to deny them Christendom, membership of Christ, to be children of God, and to be heirs of Heaven: For the Catechism saith, that we are made such in Baptism, which with the Rubric which denieth them Christian burial, and that last mentioned which affirmeth the undoubted salvation of the baptized, import a denying salvation to all that have not such Godfathers, without Parents sponsion: or at least a denying them [certainty of undoubted salvation] when it was in the power of the Convocation or Priest to have given them such certainty. 4. The Conformists do not affirm (that we know of) that any word of God doth institute or command the use of such Godfathers, or the foredescribed exclusion of the Parents, much less both: And least of all that it maketh these necessary to Christendom and Salvation, yea or Church-reception: But it is used as a Tradition or Law of men. 5. The Nonconformists therefore dare neither Assent to, Approve, Consent to, Covenant, or Practice the refusal of the Children of true Christians from Baptism, the Church and Salvation, on such a cause as this. 6. The Anabaptists hence are hardened, and say, that if Infants may be denied Baptism, till they have such Godfathers as God never instituted they have no right to it at all, and they may deny it them till we prove God's institution of Godfathers; especially where their title is laid upon such Godfathers.