A41329:261
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.
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.
If the Anabaptists say the Jews did not believe in the Messiah to come, they must prove it; the Messiah ran much in their minds, ⟨p. 83⟩we may see by the Woman of Samaria. Joh. 4.25. Read Acts 26.7. and by the Jews. Joh. 1.19, 20, 21. If Christ were then clearly revealed, why should this cast the Infant out? the Infant is not therefore guilty of the more Sin, when Christ was clearly revealed, and so deserve to be cast out.
We are to consider Ordinances in their Institution, wherefore God appointed them, what they carry in them, in their own Nature, and what Men ought to do who partake of them, not what Men do; we know what Baptism signifies, what it implies, and what they ought to do who partake of it, though Men abuse it. The Case was the same as to Circumcision.