A41329:145
The plea of the children of believing-parents for their interest in Abraham's covenant, their…
The plea of the children of believing-parents for their interest in Abraham's covenant, their right to church-member-ship with their parents, and consequently their title to baptism. The cause of publishing this discourse after so many learned men have laboured in this province, is declared in the preface to the reader. By Giles Firmin.
London: printed for Tho. Simons, 1683
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.
When Peter would draw the Jews to believe in Christ Crucified, who as yet were Unbelievers, and not turned from their iniquities, Acts 3.25, 26. Do he not use this Argument, You are the children of the Covenant which God made with our Fathers; Abraham in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. This part of the Covenant was most proper to the thing Peter had in hand. But if they were now the children of that Covenant God made with Abraham, then God was their God, though as yet they were not a spiritual seed.
As to this Seed the Jews tell us, The Seed of Ishmael is excepted from Circumcision; as it is written; For in Isaac shall thy seed be called to thee, Gen 11.12. And Esau is excepted, for lo, Isaac said to Jacob, and he give to thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee and to thy seed, Gen. 28.4. Ishmael was cast ⟨p. 45⟩out of the Church. Profane Esau despised his Birth-right, and is cast off.
As to the Sons Abraham had by Keturah, though the Scripture doth not say they they were circumcised, yet we may rather think they were. But whether after Abraham had sent them away, they kept up Circumcision in their Families, [Ishmael and Esau kept up Circumcision we know] and taught their Children the spiritual meaning of it, the Scripture is silent. So that from them we can draw no Argument pro or con. This is enough for me, that when God saith, I will stablish my Covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, —To be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And the very next words, God promiseth to give the Land of Canaan to his seed, and will be their God there. And these were the Seed of Isaac, the Seed of Jacob; and as the Martyr Stephen calls them,