A41329:259
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.
This took with me in my Meditations, I thought there was strength in it.
Had the Gospel-Church been first erected amongst the Gentiles, and had Baptism been first Instituted in the Gentile-Churches, then the Anabaptists Argument from hence, would have carried me. But the first Gospel-Church was erected among the Jews, in Jerusalem, and Baptism was Instituted in the Jewish-Church first, where the Anabaptists cannot deny but the Infants were Members ⟨p. 82⟩with their Parents, and under the Seal of the Covenant. So that they must first prove that by this Text, the Children of the Believing Jews in the Gospel-Church, were not Members with their Parents, which I am sure cannot be forced from this Text, nor doth it in the least prove the Repealing of Abraham's Covenant with his Seed.
Had the Gospel-Church been first erected amongst the Gentiles, and had Baptism been first Instituted in the Gentile-Churches, then the Anabaptists Argument from hence, would have carryed me. But the first Gospel-Church was erected among the Jews, in Jerusalem, and Baptism was Instituted in the Jewish-Church first, where the Anabaptists cannot deny but the Infants were Members ⟨p. 82⟩with their Parents, and under the Seal of the Covenant. So that they must first prove that by this Text, the Children of the Believing Jews in the Gospel-Church, were not Members with their Parents, which I am sure cannot be forced from this Text, nor doth it in the least prove the Repealing of Abraham's Covenant with his Seed.
Circumcision did Seal up the Promised Seed, in whom all Nations should be Blessed, or Christ to come; and surely required, therefore their Faith in the Messiah to come. After Christ's Ascension, in the Gospel-Church Baptism seals up this Promised Seed, or Christ now come, with a full and clear Revelation of him; the difference of the Faith as to the Object of it, is only Christ to come, and come. If then the Children of the Jews, while the Parents did believe in the Messiah to come, were under a Covenant, Reputed Members of the Church, and Circumcised; should, when their Parents believe in Christ come, be cast out of Covenant, out of the Church, and not Baptised, I know no Reason, nor Warrant from God's Word; this would have made strange work.