A41329:33
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
THE PLEA OF THE CHILDREN OF Believing-Parents, &c.THE PLEA OF THE CHILDREN OF Beleiving-Parents, &c.
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.
To return to the Head I am upon. If the Anabaptists say, How can a Man improve a Nullity, and get Experience of it? Abraham's Covenant with the Seed of Believers, now is Null, Infant-Baptism is Null. True, I do not know how a Man can improve a Nullity. But I doubt not there are many Anabaptists in England, who lived several years before they drank in this Opinion of Anabaptism, and in that time did not think Abraham's Covenant, nor their Infant-Baptism to be Null; many of them also had Parents not only visible, but real Christians; I appeal to their Consciences, did you in that time before you drank in this Opinion, improve the Covenant, and your Infant-Baptism? did you mind these? did ⟨p. 7⟩you meditate well upon them? did you believe them upon these Meditations and Faith? did you follow God close and earnestly in Prayer for the benefits of them? and tho' you met with Temptations, yet did you hold on? and what, did God give you in nothing, no support, no relief, no comfort from these? did you find no advantage to your Souls by these? I will never believe it. God is gracious, God is faithful, what ever we think of him in our dark hours I will rather believe they did not follow close their improvement of these, for I meet but with very few, even good Christians, tho' they hate Anabaptism, that do improve them as they ought. No wonder then tho' Men cry out, Abraham's Covenant is Null, and Infant-Baptism Null, when they never improved them, so found no good by them, and now turn Anabaptists.
To return to the Head I am upon. If the Anabaptists say, How can a Man improve a Nullity, and get Experience of it? Abrahams Covenant with the Seed of Believers, now is Null, Infant-Baptism is Null. True, I do not know how a Man can improve a Nullity. But I doubt not there are many Anabaptists in England, who lived several years before they drank in this Opinion of Anabaptism, and in that time did not think Abrahams Covenant, nor their Infant-Baptism to be Null; many of them also had Parents not only visible, but real Christians; I appeal to their Consciences, did you in that time before you drank in this Opinion, improve the Covenant, and your Infant-Baptism? did you mind these? did ⟨p. 7⟩you meditate well upon them? did you believe them upon these Meditations and Faith? did you follow God close and earnestly in Prayer for the benefits of them? and tho' you met with Temptations, yet did you hold on? and what, did God give you in nothing, no support, no relief, no comfort from these? did you find no advantage to your Souls by these? I will never believe it. God is gracious, God is faithful, what ever we think of him in our dark hours I will rather believe they did not follow close their improvement of these, for I meet but with very few, even good Christians, tho' they hate Anabaptism, that do improve them as they ought. No wonder then tho' Men cry out, Abrahams Covenant is Null, and Infant-Baptism Null, when they never improved them, so found no good by them, and now turn Anabaptists.