A41329:171
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.
Affirmanti incumbit probatio; This lie upon the Anabaptists to prove. And here though I am far from that absurd, irrational Principle of Veronius, who lays down this for a Rule in our Disputation with the Papists; That we must bring express Scriptures to confute them, yet this casting all the Posterity of the Godly out of the Church, is so wretched a Doctrine, [as Mr. Thomas Hooker calls it] against the poor Infants, that as yet want a Tongue to plead for themselves, that the Anabaptists must bring Scriptures, if not express, yet as clear and strong as express Scriptures, else I shall little regard their Writings. And this I require upon these grounds.
First, The Anabaptists require of us an express Command from Christ to the Apostles, to baptize Infants. This was put upon me in the Congregation: Now it is meet the Anabaptists should be honest men, ⟨p. 53⟩buy and sell by the same measure. If they require of us express Scriptures, we may well require of them the same.
Secondly, All the Arguments which the Anabaptists draw from Scripture against Infants Church-membership, and Baptism, do strike at the Grace and Wisdom of God in his Covenant with Abraham and his Seed, and his Constitution of the Church of the Jews, as if the Lord had not done wisely, but they will teach him how to Constitute Churches better. We shall hear their Arguments anon.