A41329:250
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.
Ans. I deny the Consequence.
2ly, It seems then, no Infants are the Children of God, by this Argument; a very bold and wretched Assertion.
2. There is a double Adoption, External, Ecclesiastical, and Internal, Heavenly Saving, that hath a Heavenly, Eternal Inheritance belonging to it; they who had only the first, these were called the Children of God. Deut. 14.1. and 16. Ezek. 21. to these pertain the Adoption. Rom. 9.4.
Our Question is not who are the true Children of God, that have that Inheritance prepared for them, but who are to be Reputed the Children of God, in foro Ecclesiastico, Visibly; so that they are Members of a Visible Church, and have Right to a Visible Ordinance, in the Visible Church. The Dross, the Chaff, the Canaanites, the false Israelites, which you tell us, are in your Baptized Congregations, are none of the Children of God, in a saving Sense; but your Baptists did judge them to be Believers Actually in Christ, if so, then Children of God, then you admitted them Members of your Churches, and so Baptized them by Dipping. They